A Piece of Cake
by LaneIA
Summary: Spike and Sam think the prisoner transfer duty is going to be a piece of cake. They couldn't be more wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: I do not own Flashpoint, for if I did it wouldn't have ended. This story is slightly AU; In my world Lou doesn't die and Wordy doesn't have MS. Sam and Jules are dating and Spike likes Winnie.

Please remember to feed the author, she loves reviews.

_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_

Michelangelo Scarlatti, or Spike to his friends, pulled the uniform shirt over his head and tucked it into his pants. "What a perfect way to spend two days; flying to Saskatchewan and getting paid to do it."

"I could think of better places to fly into. Not to bash on Saskatchewan, but what is there to do there?" Kevin "Wordy" Wordsworth was busy lacing his boots. "It's pretty rural out there."

"Saskatoon has some really good clubs. The Sheepdogs got their start there."

"I still don't think flying over 2000 km sounds like a good time." Wordy moved on to his second boot.

"Did I mention the overtime pay?" Spike rubbed his fingers together. "Christmas is coming."

"I wouldn't talk too loudly about that overtime if I were you Spike." Ed Lane, the team leader for the SRU's team one replied. "Most of us only get car trips when we have to provide escort service."

"It's all in the Scarlatti luck. I've always been lucky when it comes to pulling escort duty."

"Yeah," piped in his buddy Lou, who had finished dressing and was shutting his locker. "Remember the time you got stuck transporting the stripper who killed her manager?"

"Prison orange was her color." Spike opened his overnight bag to check the contents. "Dio ti benedica Ma." Spike held up a bag of chocolate chip cookies. "She's always looking out for me."

"Still doing your laundry too?" Ed quipped.

"Yes." Spike replied proudly. "It's one of the perks of being the only child that lives at home. Don't forget the home cooked meals."

"You'll never want to move out and get married at this rate." Ed fired back. "No one will meet up to your expectations when your mother is spoiling you."

"I don't know Ed," Wordy added. "You've tasted his mother's cooking. I'd be living at home to if my mother cooked like that."

Lou put his arm around his friend, "Na, Spike will find himself a good Italian girl who makes her own sauce and wants to have lots of bambinos."

"Hey, hey. She doesn't have to be Italian. I like all kinds of food."

The others laughed with the good natured banter that continued between the friends. The door to the locker room opened and Sam Braddock walked in carrying a duffle bag of his own.

"Hey, Samtastic!" Spike shouted. "Are you ready for Spike and Sam's excellent roadtrip adventure?"

Sam smiled briefly at Spike's exuberance. "I don't think transporting a prisoner is exactly a pleasure trip."

"I admit there are plenty more exciting things, but as transporting goes this isn't that bad of assignment. After we drop him off I know of this amazing club."

"Ah, the truth is reveled." Wordy quipped. "Spike is looking for an out of town hook-up."

"A gentleman never tells."

"So we'll be hearing all the details in two days." Ed looked at his watch. "We better get out for morning meeting. Boss hates it when we're late."

The men filed out of the locker room and headed towards the conference room. Inside Greg and Jules, the two remaining team members, were waiting.

"Glad you boys could join us." Greg looked up from his clipboard.

"That would be manly men Sarge." Spike replied.

"From the sounds of the talk in the locker room, I think my statement is correct." Greg waited until everyone was seated. "As everyone knows we will be standing down at noon and Team Two will cover for us. This will allow for some firing range trainings and Constables Braddock and Scarlatti will be leaving to transfer a prisoner. They will be returning tomorrow and we will then take the p.m. shift." Looking at Spike, Greg continued. "I would recommend you two take it easy on the town tonight, I don't want you falling asleep on duty tomorrow." Greg looked at them sternly, however the glint in his eye indicated the teasing nature.

"We can sleep on the plane back." Spike chimed in. "Don't worry about us, we'll be as fresh as daisies tomorrow."

"Daisies, buttercups or roses; I don't care, but I don't want you conducting an all-night investigation of the local Timmies."

Everyone laughed and the morning briefing continued as normal. "Well, unless anyone has something for the good of the cause, we'll head to the range." Greg looked at his team and seeing that no one wanted to add anything he continued. "We'll meet in twenty minutes."

The group stood and began to move out of the room. Sam had caught Jules eye and she hung back, letting Ed and Wordy exit ahead of her.

"I'm going to miss you tonight." Sam said quietly, maintaining a professional distance from his girlfriend.

"That's why I gave you that going away gift this morning." She smiled knowingly.

"Spike's mom gave him cookies. I guess I'm the lucky guy. With gifts like that I might request more overnight assignments."

"If you liked that, wait until I welcome you home." Jules replied playfully, knowing that her co-workers were now out of earshot.

"Then I'll be counting the hours until I'm back."

"Just make sure that Spike doesn't corrupt you when you two go out on the town tonight."

"I think Spike's bark is worse than his bite. I'm betting he'll settle for a good meal, a couple of drinks and then we'll head back to the hotel. We are supposed to fly out at 9:30 in the morning."

"Regardless, just remember what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but what happens with Spike gets told everywhere." Jules gave him a quick hug. "I better get going. Be careful alright?"

"No problem, this is going to be a piece of cake. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Don't jinx it Braddock. Just stay safe o.k.?" She waited for Sam to nod his agreement before disappearing around the corner to join the others heading towards the range.

Sam went into the locker room and grabbed his duffle bag out of the locker. Heading to the front desk, he could hear Spike conversing with Winnie.

"So, Friday was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with you. I hope we can do that again soon."

Winnie laughed, her face showing her enjoyment. "But only if I get to pick out the movie this time."

"Certainly, but it would never compare to The Avengers." He looked up, surprised to see Sam. "Um, so that paperwork looks in order. Thank you Winnie."

Winnie looked confused for a moment until she saw Sam and then her face became a picture of professionalism. "You are quiet welcome Spike. Good luck on the transfer."

"Thank you. Sam and I will be back tomorrow."

"Good. I look forward to seeing you both then." Her eyes dropped back to her computer screen.

Sam shot a glance at Spike, "Ready to go?"

"Yep, you want to drive?" Spike turned and gave Winnie a brief wave good-bye.

"I can. What time are they expecting us to pick him up?"

"Around eleven. Flight should leave at 1:15." Spike shifted the paperwork to his free hand.

"All right. Let's get this trip on the road."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Javier Hernandez sat quietly in a temporary holding cell of the South Etobicoke Detention Centre. The official transfer notice had approved yesterday, however with his connections he had known for over a week. Of course planning for his escape had started immediately after his conviction. Not only did he have the money to orchestrate such a plan, his family had the connections needed. It was too bad The Don, as the old jail had been referred to, had been replaced by this high tech prison campus, the old jail would have provided for a simpler break-out.

Through visits with his cousin, who happened to be his family's lawyer; bought and paid for with the money they made running drugs and several other lucrative business dealings, Javier had learned that he would be gaining his freedom during the transfer. Plans and contingency plans had been put into place. "Soon," he thought with a smile. "I will be a free man again".

A trio of guards approached his cell. "Moving day Javier." The lead guard spoke. "I hope you enjoy your new home at PA. I hear Saskatchewan winters are lovely."

Another guard chimed in, "I bet you'll find someone to keep you warm at nights. Besides, when they hear what you did with that little girl, they will probably all want a chance to play with you. I wouldn't drop the soap if I was you."

The cell door opened and two of the guards went in. Javier smiled with a wolfish grin to one of the guards that had taunted him. "In my country, no one would think that being with a thirteen year old was a crime. Many girls are married by then. Of course in your country, men like yourself can only afford an old used up whore to warm your bed."

The smiles disappeared from the guards faces. The one looked at his superior for confirmation and then threw a punch into the prisoner's midriff.

Javier doubled over slightly, but stood back up smiling. "I expected no less from pigs."

"You'll be the one squealing like a pig when you become someone's girlfriend." The head guard motioned to his men. "Get him cuffed, the SRU guys will be here soon."

Handcuffs were attached to a belly chain and leg shackles were also placed on the criminal. With a final check of the restraints, they led their prisoner from the cell.

Spike and Sam had finished signing the transfer paperwork and were waiting when the guards delivered their shuffling package.

"Hey Sam." The younger of the guards spoke. "I didn't know you were out of the army."

"Tyler!" Sam smiled warmly. "I've been out for two years now. When did you start working for corrections?"

"Last April. I got tired of the moving around and decided to come back home."

"Spike, this is Tyler Bosen. He was in the army with me. H helped keep my butt from getting shot a time or two."

"Ah, I had to or your Dad would have court marshaled me. Nice to meet you Spike."

"Same here. I bet you have some great stories about Samtastic here."

"That I do. There was one time when."

Sam cut Tyler off. "Well, we better cut this short and head out. We've got a plane to catch. Tyler, I'll call you when I get back and we'll get together to catch up."

"Sounds good." He waited until Sam had put a hand on Javier's arm and then he released his own. "Be careful with him Sam. I don't trust him."

Sam smiled tightly, "Don't worry, we deal with guys like this all the time."

The three men made their way out to the black suv that awaited them. Sam opened the door to the rear and assisted the chained man in. He shut the door and then opened the front passenger door and climbed in. He glanced back through the plexiglass barrier.

Spike had already started the vehicle and looked over at Sam. "We ready to roll?"

"Ready to roll Spike."

The trip to the airport was uneventful as the morning rush hour traffic was long gone and the noon-time motorists were still sitting at their desks somewhere. They found the hanger area for the chartered plane they were taking and parked near the building.

Spike went into the hanger's office and spoke to the young woman behind the counter. "Hello, we're from the Toronto Police Department. We are transporting a prisoner on a flight to Saskatoon."

"Just a moment and I'll take you out to the hanger. My Dad is just finishing a pre-flight check." She finished typing on her computer and closed the screen. "Follow me please."

Inside the hanger there were multiple airplanes and she led him over to a blue and white Cessna. It was larger than Spike had expected and he mentioned it to the woman.

"It's a Cessna 421C Ram. They are designed to carry six to eight people, so they are real popular with smaller companies and such. The big shots all want Lear jets now. But this girl will cruise along at 240 kph and can take you over 2700 kilometers with a full tank."

"I see Monica is boring you to death with airplane details. I'm Brian Doyle, the pilot."

A very large man stood at the opening of the plane; his bulk filling the space. His face had a smile that didn't meet his eyes.

"It's all right; I'm a details kind of guy. Mike Scarlatti."

"So are you ready to get your passenger loaded?"

"We are. Do you want us to bring him in here?"

"Yes, I'll be up front looking over some last checks." The older man turned back to the plane and climbed up into the open doorway.

"Thanks," Spike told the young woman as they walked back towards the office.

"No problem. Dad does a lot of these types of flights. He's been real worried about this one though."

"Really?" Spike replied. "He worried about the weather or something?"

"I don't know, he won't tell me. I've just noticed he's been acting real concerned. This guy you are transporting must be a bad one." Monica shook her head. "It's the only reason I can think of."

"Don't worry." Spike smiled warmly. "We have him secured and we are with him the whole time. Nothing to it."

"Great." They had reached the office. "Thanks again."

Spike walked over to the vehicle and waited as Sam exited the vehicle. Each man grabbed an arm as they then transported the convicted drug dealer over to the hanger and the waiting plane. Assisting the shackled man into the plane, Sam then motioned to a seat at the front of the cabin. Once seated, Sam unlocked the cuffs from the belly chain and hooked one of the cuffs to the armrest's bracing. With his legs still bound, there was no need to cuff him further.

"Let's get the seatbelt on you Mr. Hernandez. I'd hate to have you bump your head if we hit some turbulence." Sam pulled the belt tight across the man's lap.

"We shouldn't be seeing any turbulence." The pilot turned in his seat at the front of the plane. The cockpit was only separated by a curtain. "Weather is supposed to be good all the way to Saskatoon."

"Great." Spike was in now as well and he made his way towards one of the open seats. "Flying time is over four hours, right?"

"Closer to five, but a lot depends on the headwinds." Brian answered. "If you guys are set, let's get going."

"We're good." Sam had pulled out an IPod and put in his earplugs. With the prisoner chained there was nothing to do during the flight except to relax.

The pilot's ground crew closed door and the small plane taxied out of the hanger and towards the airport runways. A short time later, the plane was in the air and headed slightly north-west. The city of Toronto disappeared below as they climbed higher into the sky.

Spike looked at the chained man and noticed that his eyes were closed and he appeared to be praying, his mouth forming the words silently. "Must be afraid of flying." Spike thought silently.

In the other seat, Javier sat quietly, his lips forming the words that his mind was composing. It was a list of names; men that he was going to kill as soon as the opportunity arose. Now there were two new names on the list, Scarlatti and Braddock.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Thanks for all of the reviews. I really appreciate them. I hope that I don't disappoint. Right now writing is helping me cope with some family situations that are tearing me apart. So my darling husband is encouraging me to take my mind off of the drama and write some instead. Have a Merry Christmas and all that jazz. I hope to post ever couple of days.

Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint

They had been flying for over two hours. Sam had dozed off while listening to music and Spike had spent the time re-reading The Hobbit. He was looking forward to seeing it when it came out. But having read the book dozens of times he already knew the story line inside and out. The expedition was just about to set off for the Lonely Mountains when Spike decided to take a break from reading.

Spike unbuckled and stood as upright as he could to stretch his legs. The twin-engines of the plane were a muffled drone inside the cabin and the sound was almost hypnotic. He had even found himself almost nodding of several times. It had the same effect on the others as well. Seeing that both Sam and Javier were sleeping, he decided to make his way up to the cockpit and check in with the pilot. The curtain had been pulled between the two parts of the plane. As he reached the curtain, Spike could hear the pilot speaking low.

"Yes, I know. Don't worry; I'm going to hold up my end of the bargain." The pilot paused, and then resumed with a sound of urgency in his voice. "You don't have to do that. I said it will be taken care of."

Spike stood there, not wanting to interrupt but slightly suspicious over the nature of the conversation he had just heard. He decided on his course of action and made sure that he sounded cheerful. "Hey Brian," Spike opened the curtain. "How's the flight going?"

The pilot cut off his conversation with a quick, "I'll talk to you later." His face was flushed and he looked like he had been sweating even though the inside temperature was slightly cool.

"Problems?" Spike tried to sound casual.

"No, just my daughter wanting to fight long distance. She decided that this would be a good time to argue because I've no place to go. Kids, a joy and heartache all in one." Brian responded tiredly.

"I'm sure I've caused my folks a fair share of grief also." Spike slid into the co-pilot's seat. Glancing at the various gauges he spotted the compass. "Why are we going so far north?"

"There were reports of some storms building to the east and I'm trying to skirt about them."

"Sounds like a good idea. How much longer until we get there?"

"Couple of hours." The pilot motioned over his shoulder. "If you're thirsty, there is some water and sodas in a cooler in the back. Help yourself."

"Thanks." Spike stood up and looked at the pilot; something didn't feel right and Spike decided it was time to speak to Sam about his concerns.

"Hey Sam buddy." Standing off to the side, Spike put his hand gently on Sam's shoulder. He had learned the hard way to not to surprise the ex-soldier. Once he had tapped his friend awake only to find himself on the floor looking up after being tackled.

"What?" Sam's eyes popped open and quickly scanned the plane's cabin. Javier still appeared to be sleeping soundly. He removed his headphones, "Is everything all right?"

"Not sure." Spike kept his voice low as he explained what he had overheard from the cockpit.

"I would like to say you are blowing this out of proportion, but knowing this guy Javier's family ties, I don't think we can be too careful." Sam undid his seatbelt. "I'm going to go up and take a look around."

"I'll wait back here. No need to make him more nervous." Spike sat down and prepared to listen to the interchange between the two.

Sam walked up to the curtain and stifled a yawn. "Wow that was a good nap; nothing like the sound of the engines to lull a person to sleep. So where are we?"

"Oh, a little over half way there." The pilot sounded evasive.

"I'm wondering why we are so far north. I thought we would be taking a more southerly route?"

"Like I told the other constable, some weather moved in and I wanted to go around it."

"Is it all right if I use your radio to contact the facilities at Saskatoon? I want to let them know if we are going to be delayed." Sam reached for the handset.

"No!" The pilot grabbed for the mike and pulled it out of Sam's reach.

"Is there a reason you don't want me to contact someone?" Sam's tone was firm.

"You don't need to bother them; we'll be arriving on time."

"That's good to know, but it might not be a bad idea to give them the heads up if we've deviated from our flight plan." Sam held out his hand for the radio's mike. "Just let me give them a call."

"You can't, they'll kill her." Brian exploded and begin sobbing about his daughter.

Spike hurried from his seat and as he went past Javier, he noticed a sly smile at the corner of the man's mouth. Standing behind Sam, he listened to his partner try to talk to the distraught man.

"Let's calm down and you can tell me what is going on." Sam's voice softened as he tried to lower the tension in the cockpit.

"They told me if I didn't do what they said that they would kill my daughter."

"What do they want you to do?"

"I can't tell you. I have to go through with it." Brian reached to the side and pulled out a gun. "I was going to drop the cabin pressure and kill you after you passed out. Just go sit down and let me deliver him, I promise I won't kill you."

"What do you think they will do to you and to us if you go to drop him off and they see we are still alive?" Sam's hands were out in a placating position. "Just put the gun away and let's think about a way to keep your daughter safe."

"No!" Brian sobbed. Suddenly he gave a strangled cry. "She's going to die and it's all my fault." His hands started shaking and his breath became labored."

"Calm down Brian." Sam grabbed the gun and handed it to Spike as the plane started a rapid descent. Both men quickly reached for hand holds.

"Brian, don't." Sam hurriedly buckled himself in. Through the window he could see the ground below coming closer. Reaching for the yoke, he pulled back on it hoping to counteract Brian's attempt to push it forward.

The pilot continued sobbing and screaming about his daughter as the plane tilted and plunged as they wrestled for control. The controls became mushy in Sam's hands and the yoke didn't seem to respond. An alarm began sounding, indicating that the engines were stalling. Reaching the throttle, the pilot pushed it forward and the engines reduced their speed. But the plane yawed and the final distance to the ground rushed up to greet them.

The next few moments slowed to a crawl. Trees crashed along the bottom of the plane and the left wing tipped down and was torn off. The plane reacted by spinning to the left and the nose of the plane dipped lower. The momentum pushed the plane down towards the ground with trees snapping off as the fuselage hit them. The plane tilted and Spike wrapped his hand around one of the ceiling straps to help him remain on his feet. Plane met the ground with a loud crash.

It could have been seconds or hours later when he opened his eyes, Spike couldn't be for sure. One thing that he did know was that he could hear someone swearing up a storm. Closing his eyes again, slowly awareness crept in and he could feel himself lying in a heap on the floor? Was it the floor? He opened his eyes once more and by moving his head slightly allowed for a larger field of vision he could see that the plane was tilted slightly to the left.

The voice that had been swearing stopped and in the silence, Spike could hear other sounds, the slight creaking of metal and the low moaning of someone. Knowing he couldn't just lay there, Spike moved to push himself upright.

The pain was immediate. His right shoulder and upper arm exploded into white hot agony. Spike rolled to a sitting position and grabbed onto his arm. The pain was dissipating, leaving in its place numbness. The location of the pain gave him a good indication of the problem and looking at his arm confirmed his suspicions; the shoulder was dislocated. Gritting his teeth against the pain that would follow, Spike pushed his back up against the side of the plane and got his feet under him so that he could stand somewhat upright.

Glancing around the remains of the plane he could see the prisoner watching him, a tight smile across his lips. Blood ran down from his hairline and was collecting on his shirt. "Seems that you've dislocated that shoulder constable," Javier's voice held uncharacteristic warmth. "Perhaps if you take these cuffs off of me I could help you get that back in."

"I think for right now I want you just where you are. I see you're bleeding, do you have any other injuries?"

"I'm shaken up but other than that no. I suppose I should thank you and the other constable for making sure I was so securely belted in."

"Great," Spike looked around for something to give the man to help staunch the blood from his head wound. Seeing his overnight bag, he pulled the zipper back and handed the criminal a white undershirt. "Here, hold it to your head and apply pressure."

The side of the plane had a large gash in the fuselage and this had caused the cockpit to twist open. Stepping across the breach, he could see the pilot strapped into his seat. The low moaning sound came from him. The co-pilot's seat was empty.

Moving to the pilot he could see that even though the man had been strapped in, the damage to the left front of the cockpit had caused his legs to be pinned in the wreckage. Blood was pooling below the man's seat and from the amount of it there was a serious wound hidden from view.

"Brian. Brian, can you hear me?" Spike shook the man gently but he was unresponsive with the exception of the moaning.

Looking back over to the empty seat, the absence of his friend worried Spike. Looking around for clues he noticed that the front windows were not broken out. There was some blood on the controls and the seat belt on the co-pilot's side, but it didn't appear to be too much. Being careful to cradle his arm to prevent it from bumping into the wreckage, Spike slid out between the two parts of the plane. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw Sam sitting underneath a tree, away from the plane.

"Sam, hey buddy, you alright?" Spike approached the tree where Sam was seated and noticed that the man's eyes were closed. "Sam?"

No response from Sam worried Spike. Slowly kneeling beside his friend, his shoulder again sent a bolt of pain shooting through him. Reaching out with his good arm, he gently shook his friend.

"Hmmmmm, five more minutes mom."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Spike would have laughed. Instead the response worried him, but on the bright side his friend was talking. "Sorry Sam, you need to open your eyes."

Sam's blue eyes opened slightly and he looked at Spike in confusion. "What are you doing here Spike?"

"Checking on you buddy. Let me take a look at you. Can you open your eyes wider?" Spike looked into Sam's eyes and noticed that both eyes were dilated substantially. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Just my head."

"But nowhere else?" Spike wanted to make sure that Sam wasn't trying to minimize any injuries.

"I guess my leg hurts a little." Sam motioned towards his leg that was opposite Spike.

Spike moved his hand down Sam's leg and felt the dampness. Bringing his hand away he could see blood staining his fingers. Putting his hand back, he felt to see where the injury was. A small tear in the pants leg showed the spot where the injury took place. His fingers could feel a puncture type wound, but it didn't appear to be too deep. "Here Sam, put your hand here and press down."

"Spike," Sam's voice was had a slight tremor to it. "Spike, where are we?"

"To be quiet honest Sam, I'm not really sure where we went down."

"Went down? Spike, what happened?"

"The plane crashed, remember? You were trying to get control of the plane from the pilot; he was upset about his daughter."

"Oh," there was confusion written all over Sam's face. "But how did we get on a plane?"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: Thanks everyone who has reviewed and also those who are following this. Think of this as kind of a bridge in the action.

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

"_Spike," Sam's voice was had a slight tremor to it. "Spike, where are we?"_

"_To be quiet honest Sam, I'm not really sure where we went down."_

"_Went down? Spike, what happened?"_

"_The plane crashed, remember? You were trying to get control of the plane from the pilot; he was upset about his daughter."_

"_Oh," there was confusion written all over Sam's face. "But how did we get on a plane?"_

"We were doing a prisoner transfer. Do you remember anything about that?" Spike knew that memory loss was possible with a concussion and that more than likely his friend had suffered one.

"Not sure." Sam's brow wrinkled as he thought. "I remember we had a hot call with a guy holding his ex-wife and her new boyfriend hostage."

"That was a call we had two days ago. Anything else Sam?"

Sam sat for a minute thinking and shook his head slightly. "No, I don't remember anything after getting paged out for that call. Guess I have a concussion."

"Guess so. No sleeping for a while alright."

"It could be worse." Sam spoke quietly. "I could have forgotten who I was."

"Or who I am." Spike smiled warmly, knowing that his friend wasn't suffering from a large memory loss. Using a little humor also helped defuse some of the tension he was feeling over the situation they were in. Even at work he found that a little humor helped keep him grounded.

"Wouldn't that be more of a blessing?" Sam raised an eyebrow in Spike's direction.

"Hey, I'm the one that gets the laughs. You're the straight man in this duo." Spike shifted and groaned loudly as his arm moved.

"Spike!" Sam shifted slightly to look at his friend. "What's wrong, where are you hurt?"

"Shoulder." Spike replied through gritted teeth, waiting for the pain to ebb before he continued.

"Broken?"

"Dislocated. Wouldn't be so bad, but we seem to be an emergency room short right now."

"I can put it back for you, but we need another person. You said we were transporting someone, are they alive?"

"Yes, but he's bad news. I don't trust him uncuffed. Pilot is still alive, but his legs are crushed underneath the front of the plane. I couldn't do much for him with one hand, so I came looking for you where you weren't inside the plane."

Sam pushed himself up from his seat by the tree. He swayed slightly on his feet, but steadied himself by leaning back against the tree. "We need to find something heavy for you to hold onto."

"How heavy?"

"Twenty pounds or so should do it." Sam moved towards the plane. "Did we bring go bags?"

"Yes. But there isn't any equipment in them; just clothing and stuff." Spike's face whitened as his shoulder shifted.

"Doesn't matter. I'll add stuff to it." Sam cautiously made his way to the plane. Slipping inside he could see the pilot slumped back against his seat. In the rear, the prisoner sat chained to a seat.

"Hello Constable. I'm glad to see you have survived. Perhaps if you let me go we can help your friend with his shoulder."

Sam chose to ignore the man and set about looking for heavy items to place inside one of the duffle bags. Lift the bag, Sam decided that it was heavy enough to do the job and he exited the plane.

Standing as still as he could, Spike watched as Sam squeezed out of the plane. It seemed like Sam was having difficulty with maintaining a straight path back to him. "Sam, are you doing o.k.?"

"Still a little dizzy from having my bell rung. My vision is a little off and I've got a bitch of a headache, but that's normal for a concussion."

"How off is off?"

"A slight doubling, but not all the time." He sat the bag down by Spike. "Now, let's get you taken care of. What you need to do is grab on to the duffle bag and lean over slightly so that your arm is straight. Then pull back and straighten up. What should happen is the muscles will stretch and the ball will slip back into socket. When you are ready, I'm going to help by holding onto your arm. What you need to know Spike," Sam paused for a moment to get his bearings again as he fought against the dizziness."Is that without muscle relaxers it might take several times and it will hurt like hell. But as soon as it is back in the pain goes away."

"Only hurts until the pain goes away. Damn, you should have been a doctor with that pep talk." Spike talked as he moved into position, cursing softly as he moved the arm.

"Try to think of relaxing things. Being on a tropical beach, sunsets, disarming a bomb, anything that makes you happy."

"Easy for you to say." Spike grabbed onto the bag. "Ready."

It took two tries to get the bone back into the socket. By the time they had finished, Spike's face was pale and he was sweating in spite of the cold that was becoming more evident. True to Sam's word, the moment the shoulder was back in place the absence of pain was immediate.

"Now you should make a sling and keep that arm as still as you can to help the muscles heal."

"I'll do that later. We need to see if the pilot can be freed." Spike moved towards the plane. "We are going to need first aid supplies; can you look to see if there are any in the back?"

"Sure." Sam moved to the back of the plane.

"Hey Brian," Spike knelt near the pilot. "Let's take a look at you." He reached up and felt for a pulse. The pilot's lips were tinged blue and Spike was not surprised when he did not find a pulse beneath his probing fingers.

He pushed himself back up to standing and tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that the man had not appeared to suffer. The severity of the damage to his legs beneath the crushed metal had been beyond the scope of what first aid they could have rendered. Unless they had crashed into a hospital, the likelihood of the man surviving had been low.

"Spike," Sam called up. "I found the first aid kit."

"Hold onto it back there. I don't need it." Spike crossed the breach back into the rear of the plane. "The pilot's gone."

"Damn it!" Sam swore.

"There wasn't anything we would have been able to do." Spike reassured his teammate. "Right now it's starting to get dark and I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little chilly."

"I would like to remind you two that while you are up and moving around it warms the body. I'm sitting here cuffed and I can attest to it being cold." Javier spoke up quietly.

"Why don't we go ahead and uncuff him, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to go." Sam looked at Spike.

Weighing it over for a few moments, Spike nodded. "Alright. But only uncuff him from the seat. I don't want him being able to run. Also, reattach the cuffs to the belly chain."

Sam freed the man from the seat and unchained him so that he could put on his coat. Reattaching the cuffs, he gave Javier a little more freedom in his movements. Spike had already put on his own jacket and was keeping an eye on the man as Sam was bent down putting the leg shackles back into place.

"That's enough Sam."

"Please, Constable, you must think I'm mad to try to escape in this wilderness. Where would I go? I highly doubt there is a Timmy's just down the block where I can make a call to catch a ride."

"Regardless, I want you limited in your movements." He then turned to Sam. "We are going to want to have a fire to help warm the cabin up some. They probably won't mount a rescue until morning, so we will be here overnight at best."

"If we make it towards the front, the smoke can escape from there." Sam pointed to the rip in the plane. "We need to be careful not to start the plane on fire. Most of this material will burn and the smoke it makes is toxic."

"Alright, I'll take Javier and the two of us will look for some dry wood. You see what you can do to make us a fire bowl." Spike turned towards the convicted drug dealer, "Let's go. Remember, I do have a gun and I will shoot you if I need to because I've been having a really rotten day so far."

Javier lifted his hands upward as far as they would go and gave what passed for a sincere smile, "I wouldn't dream of it Constable."

The two men exited the plane and Sam looked around for the small plane for anything that might work as a container to hold a small fire. It didn't take long to realize that there was nothing inside the plane that would work. The closest he found was a dirty plastic container that appeared to have held food once. Setting it to the side, Sam squeezed out of the plane and looked around to if the exterior would yield something useful.

The plane had cut a swath in the woods and Sam concentrated his search along the debris field. He found an overnight bag near the rear of the plane. It must have been the pilot's that had been stored in the aft storage area. Leaving it for the moment, he continued looking for anything suitable.

The wing that had been torn off had sections of metal hanging loose. Grabbing onto a smaller piece Sam worked on twisting it free. It took several minutes but soon Sam was dragging it back to the plane. Along the way he picked up the bag and continued back to the plane.

Stepping on the piece of metal, he worked on bringing the edges up to form a lip so that when they built a fire it would be contained. Satisfied with his efforts, Sam sat down and closed his eyes for a moment. His vision was still slightly doubled and the physical activity had taken a lot out of him.

Spike and Javier had strayed further from the plane than Spike had hoped. The covering of snow on the ground was several inches deep and while it made for a beautiful view, it also obscured the type of wood they were looking for. Luckily they found a tree top that had broken off and fallen. It had been down long enough for some of the bark to have started falling off.

"Hold out your arms and I'll stack wood on them." Spike began breaking smaller branches off.

"Do I look like a pack mule for you to use?" Javier sneered.

"If you want to stay warm, the answer is yes."

"Don't try to play that with me. I know that as your prisoner I must be taken care of. It has always impressed me with you Canadians, how you keep your code of ethics so intact and honor them. I don't think you have it in you to do anything less than take care of me to the best of your abilities, so that when we are found you can go crawling to your supervisors like a dog waiting for praise."

"I don't want to ruin your day any more than it has already, but I am prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure my buddy and I survive. You get to come along for the ride. You want to sit further away from the fire we are building, I can reserve you a spot."

Javier chuckled, "Ah, playing the bad cop. I have watched plenty of your t.v. shows. Does that make "Sam" the good cop? Alright, I will play along for now." He held out his arms to accept the wood that Spike had collected. "But please forgive me if I am less than confident in your ability to keep your friend out of harm's way. I have studied history my friend. Perhaps this is your Teutoburg Forest?"

Spike bristled at the mention of the defeats the Romans had suffered at the hands of the Germanic tribes. It was not so much as what had occurred in ancient history but what had happened on a call a year earlier. Pursuing a teenage subject into a wooded area, Spike had been hit and burned by an incendiary object.

"I'm sorry, did I mention a sore subject." Javier's smile was cruel.

"Good thing we can all learn from the mistakes in history." Spike paused and picked up a large branch and snapped off several smaller chunks. "I think we have enough for our first load. Let's get back. You can lead the way."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Team One had finished at the range for the day. After breaking for lunch and an afternoon of cleaning weapons, the members of the team were more than ready for the end of their shift. Wordy and Ed had already left and Lou was waiting by the dispatcher's desk for Jules.

"So what are the chances that Spike will convince Sam to go out on the town in Saskatoon?" Winnie worked on straightening her desktop; her shift would end in forty-five minutes.

"Sam will go for one drink but Spike will end up staying out later than he should. You know that Sam is a stickler for the rules." Lou smiled at Jules who was heading towards the desk. "What do you think Jules, Spike hung-over tomorrow?"

"I don't know, you heard Sarge. I don't think Spike will want to disappoint Greg."

"True. So you ready to give me a lift home?" Lou picked up his duffle bag and waved good-bye to Winnie."

"Yes, but do you want to stop and grab something to eat first? I don't have anything in my apartment that sounds good. Night Winnie."

"Goodnight you two." Winnie chuckled to herself after they exited. No wonder Jules and Lou were hanging out tonight, their normal dates were spending the night together also. A romance for Jules and Sam and a bromance with Spike and Lou.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The trudge back to the plane seemed longer, perhaps it was due to the sun slipping below the tree tops and bringing a gloomy feel to the woods. The two men were silent as they arrived back at the newly made clearing.

"Sam, we're back. Did you get something to make the fire in?" Spike called out as he began breaking up the branches.

When he didn't receive an answer, Spike motioned to Javier to break up the wood. Stepping back into the plane, Spike was concerned to see Sam in a seat with his eyes closed. "Sam, you with me man?"

"Really tired Spike." Sam spoke as he continued to keep his eyes closed. "Double vision hasn't cleared up much and it's making me feel sick."

"I understand. Just stay there. Do you want me to find you something to puke in if you need it?"

"Might not be a bad idea. Might get charged for cleaning fees if we don't leave the plane neat."

"I think that's the least of our worries. I'll get you something." Spike moved towards the back of the cabin. "I see you made us a fire bowl." He found the empty container that Sam had set aside earlier. "I'll go scrub this Tupperware out with some snow so it isn't so gross. I don't need to give you more reasons to throw up."

"Thanks Spike. How's Javier doing?"

"Hasn't tried to run but I don't trust him. I'll be chaining him back up soon."

"Not a lot of places for him to go."

"Yeah, but with what the pilot was telling us about his daughter being threatened and how he was going to kill us, I'm thinking that Javier's family is looking for him just as hard as the others are looking for us." Spike looked at the prisoner who was still breaking up wood. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I'm not going anywhere Spike." Sam's eyes were still shut tight.

"I'm counting on that pal."

Spike went back outside and cleaned out the container with some of the snow that surrounded the plane. "Javier, grab some of the smaller wood and take it inside. Then you can carry the rest in."

"Your wish is my command." Javier stood and bowed with a flourish.

It was dark by the time Spike had a fire going. Luckily the pilot was a smoker. Spike had found a lighter in the pants pocket of the deceased man. The fire had warmed up the inside of the plane so that it was bearable and the light that it cast out pushed the shadows back.

Supper had been two cookies each. Mama Scarlatti had sent two dozen, so Spike had decided that four meals would be enough to get them by while waiting for their rescue. In addition to the cookies, Sam had a few granola bars and two bottles of Gatorade. The pilot had a small cooler that contained five Coca Colas and eight bottles of water. Spike had handed each man one of the waters. If they needed more, the snow outside could be melted.

Javier had been chained back into his seat and had been quiet since commenting on the skimpiness of the meal. Spike had reminded him that he could skip a meal if need be.

On the other hand, Spike had to prod Sam to eat and drink. Once Sam had eaten the two cookies he reclined his seat and fell asleep quickly. Spike was worried about the head injury, but knew that there was nothing more he could do. Tomorrow a rescue party should find them and then Sam would get the help he needed. The plane's storage cabinets had contained blankets and pillows, so Spike had passed them out and made sure that Sam was covered fully.

Spike set his watch alarm to wake him in four hours. That way he could catch a little bit of sleep and then check Sam and the fire. "Tomorrow," he thought to himself, "will be a better day." He pulled up his own blanket and closed his eyes.

The only sound coming from the inside of the plane was the crackle of the fire. Three sets of eyes scanned the area as they circled the downed plane. The quiet inside convinced them that it was time to rush the plane for what they wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's notes: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews. Each and everyone is like a gift. Thanks. I'm sorry this took a few days longer than I had hoped. The Flu struck hitting me and one of the kids. Today was the first day I felt up to typing. This will be at least 8-10 more chapters and don't worry Spike and Sam fans, the fun is just beginning for these two._

___**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

_The only sound coming from the inside of the plane was the crackle of the fire. Three sets of eyes scanned the area as they circled the downed plane. The quiet inside convinced them that it was time to rush the plane for what they wanted._

_The moon was in its first quarter, so the light filtering down to the floor of the woods was somewhat diffused. The snow on the ground reflected the light and gave just enough light to see._

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Jules and Lou were leaving the pub were they had stopped for supper and they were both surprised to see big, fluffy snowflakes starting to fall. The city hadn't had a snowfall that had stuck yet and even when they did get snow, it didn't stay pretty for long.

"This is too early for Christmas snow. It's only the end of November." Jules held out her hand and caught some of the flakes. "I loved the snow growing up."

"What? Is snow in Alberta that much nicer than Ontario snow?"

"I think it is. If snow is around for long here it gets dirty fast." She pulled out her cellphone and thumbed it to camera mode. "Here, let's take a photo and let Sam see what he's missing."

Taking the phone from her, Lou motioned her to pose. "Now give Sam on of your real smiles, don't make duck lips."

"I smile real all of the time. What do you mean duck lips?"

"When a girl does the, "pouty, but trying to be sexy thing"." Lou stuck his own lips out in a mocking pose.

"I never do that!"

"You never know what lurks in the mind of a female." He took the photo of Jules and handed her back the phone. "Here you go, tell him to keep an eye on Spike. I don't need to listen to the Italian Stallion telling us about the women throwing themselves at him. They only seem to do that when he isn't out with any of Team One."

Jules had taken the phone back and had texted a message to go along with the photo and sent it to Sam. "Let's go. My toes are getting chilly."

They headed to where they had parked and bid each other goodnight. When she arrived at home, Jules looked at her cellphone and was a little dismayed to see that Sam had not responded to her message. Laughing to herself, "He'll probably be too busy keeping up with Spike to respond."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The leader made a noise low in his throat as he moved towards the plane. The other two had moved into positions to attack from the other sides, not realizing that their point of entry would be compromised by the way that the front of the plane had twisted. The leader saw no reason to concern himself with their positions, he was focused on his target. He crept closer and moved into the opening of plane.

The fire had burnt down and only cast a feeble amount of light around the interior of the plane. It was a conditioned response that brought Sam to consciousness; years in the military and several in Afghanistan had honed it. It could have been the scrape of feet on metal or the guttural growl as the predator reached for his prey; whichever, Sam opened his eyes and scanned the area. It took a moment to realize what he was seeing, but as his brain was processing, his hand was reaching for his sidearm.

The sound of Sam's Glock 17 firing filled the small enclosure. Spike sat up quickly and reached for his own gun. Even with ears ringing, he could hear the snarls and yips from outside the plane.

Sam had flipped on a flashlight that he had found earlier and aimed the beam towards the cockpit. Lying bleeding on the ground was a large grey wolf.

"Puta madre!" Javier swore. "¿Qúe diablos es eso?"

"Grey wolf," Sam was moving slowly towards the prone animal. Hearing nothing more outside of the plane he turned back to the other men. "They must have gotten a scent of the blood and homed in on us."

"Will they be back?" Spike questioned as he moved forward to help Sam move the animal.

"No way of knowing. Depending on where we are, if they have encountered hunters before they might be wary of us. But, they are the top of the food chain around here, so I don't know."

They drug the bleeding carcass out and away from the plane. Heading back into the plane, Sam grabbed ahold of Spike's arm for a moment.

"Wait a minute." Sam spoke quietly. He noticed that the pressure in Sam's grasp was increasing.

"What's up?"

Sam turned and vomited into the snow; his knees weakening. Spike grabbed ahold and helped keep his friend upright.

"Easy Sam, I've got you." Spike spoke softly. "Do you feel like you need to throw up some more?"

"I think I'm good for a minute."

"Let's get you over by the wing." Spike guided him over to the wing on the right side of the plane and helped Sam lower himself down onto the wing. "I'll go grab some water."

Spike entered the plane and walked back to the area where the drinks were kept. Javier saw him reaching in to pull out a bottle of water. "I am thirsty as well."

"You are going to need to wait your turn. I'll be back to you in a little bit." Spike went past the man cuffed to the seat.

"Seems Constable Braddock's head injury might be more serious than you though." Javier smiled, his eyes full of cruel malice. "What else are you making a mistake with?"

"I'll be back to give you some water." Spike slipped back out of the rip in the plane. He unscrewed the bottle and handed it to Sam. "Here, little sips."

"Thanks." Sam took a small sip and swished the water around inside his mouth and leaned over to spit it out. He then took a drink. "I thought I had my stomach under control."

"Not listening to orders is it?" Spike teased lightly, and then turned serious. "Sam, I need to know how bad your head really is. Have you kept anything from me?"

"No, I don't think so. I've got a hell of a headache and my vision is going in and out; sometimes double vision sometimes not. I think that my stomach just got riled when I moved around dealing with the wolf. I know we are in a real mess Spike, I wouldn't jeopardize anyone's safety just trying to be bad-ass."

"Good to know. Do you feel like going back inside? I've got to stoke the fire and our guest is thirsty also."

"Just a few more minutes, the fresh air feels good."

"Fresh? Is that another word for damn cold? It feels like -12 at least. If we were American it would be warmer, it would be 10 above. That doesn't sound as cold. Maybe we should change to Fahrenheit? "

"It's about as cold as Afghanistan in the winter. Some nights you would feel like you were back home, except for the people shooting at you."

"Hey there's that Samtastic sense of humor I know and love. Let's try to get you back inside alright? Hopefully this will be our only night at wilderness sleep away camp because I didn't bring any marshmallows."

"I can't see you being the Boy Scout type." Sam took Spike's offered hand and rose slowly to his feet.

"I preferred more urban activities, like blowing things up in my parent's backyard."

The men entered the airplane's cabin and made their way back to their seats. Spike handed another water bottle to Javier. "Don't drink too much because there are no more bathroom breaks until morning."

The fire was stoked and the men settled back down for a fitful sleep.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"Hello, Salvador? This is Teyo. The plane hasn't arrived yet."

"What do you mean it hasn't arrived?"

"I am in Fort Hope. The pilot was supposed to divert to here. I have men in Saskatoon and they haven't seen the plane land there either."

"It left on schedule?"

"Yes, Marco saw them load Javier onto the plane and watched it take off."

"Is there any way for you to track it?"

"No, we disabled the emergency locator beacon. Plus the pilot was going to fly under the radar."

"Mr. Hierra will not be happy to hear that his son is not returning as expected."

"We are planning on searching along a line that corresponds to their expected route to Fort Hope. We will find him."

"I hope that is the case Teyo, for your sake." The line went dead.

Teyo turned and looked at the three men who had waited silently during the phone call. The plan had seemed simple, the plane would land in Fort Hope and they would liberate Javier. The pilot, having already disposed of the two constables would then be free to go. It was unfortunate however that the plane would then have engine trouble and crash, this was to be courtesy of Philippe who was skilled with bomb making. That had been the plan, now they were scrambling to locate the missing plane before the authorities did.

"So, as we've discussed, the first thing in the morning we start searching by air. I have several pilots that have worked for us before flying in tonight. That way we won't have any loose ends when it comes to explaining what we are looking for."

The men nodded in agreement. No one asked what would happen if they were unable to locate the aircraft; they knew too well the price for disappointing Mr. Hierra.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The morning light was subdued, clouds had filled the sky and there was a touch of humidity to the air; snow was a real likelihood.

Spike had already been outside to answer the call of nature and was returning to let Javier out for a while. He glanced at his watch and mentally calculated how many hours had passed since their estimated arrival time in Saskatoon.

"By now they will be starting a search for the beacon's signal. Let's hope that the weather holds for a day or two." Spike thought to himself.

Entering the plane he unshackled the criminal and told him to stay close to the plane. Spike also checked on Sam and decided to let him sleep. He had been waking his friend ever two hours to check on him and Spike knew Sam would be tired.

Going back outside, Spike saw Javier returning from the area that had been designated as the bathroom. "Mr. Hierra, I am not going to cuff you for a while. However, if you give me reason to chain you up again, I will with no hesitation."

"Thank you Constable, I assure you I will be a dutiful prisoner." The words were meant to appease, but the tone held a different meaning.

"Great, now why don't you head off where we went yesterday to look for some more wood and I'll take a different direction. Here are a pair of gloves for you, when you come back we will build the fire up and you can dry out your shoes and socks." Spike handed the man a pair of gloves from his own pocket.

"Gracias." The man turned and headed towards the trail they had broken the day before.

"Hey, letting the prisoner go?" Sam had stuck his head out of the plane, squinting against the light.

"No, just having him help me gather some wood for the fire."

"I could help you with that." Sam headed over towards the "bathroom".

"I'm good, but I want you to rest a little more if you can."

"Do you think they will find us today?" Sam zipped up and turned back around.

"Well, they stress the "golden day" with plane crashes, the best recovery stats take place in that first day." Spike realized how depressing that sounded and tried to be upbeat. "The three of us are healthy and we've got shelter and fire, plus plenty of snow to melt for water, so I think we don't have to worry about immediate rescue."

"There are some other things to think about too Spike. The pilot was obviously not heading us to Saskatoon and we don't know how far off the original course he went. I had a quick look at his gps, but nothing that would help us know where we are."

"True Sam, but with the emergency locator beacon, it will send up a signal to the satellites and let them know where we are."

"How about the radio? I tried my cell, but no surprise there wasn't reception."

"I looked at it yesterday before we went to bed." Spike was a little uneasy because Sam had been with him when they had checked on it. But he chalked it up to the trauma of the day and Sam's concussion. "It looked pretty well smashed."

"Even for a genius?" Sam grinned slightly.

"Even for a genius." Spike clapped his hands together to warm them. "Why don't you go back in and feed the fire and I'll go get more wood." He turned but then turned back to Sam, "Hey, be careful around Javier. He has been acting a little too helpful today."

"Too helpful?"

"Yeah, and I don't trust guys like him when they want to help."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Greg was standing in the kitchen making breakfast for Dean and Clark. The two boys had spent the night together working on a computer program and Greg knew that to rouse them was going to take more than just his skills in negotiating. He had started cracking eggs to cook along with the bacon when his phone rang. Tempted to ignore it, he glanced and saw that the number was from headquarters.

"Morning, this is Greg Parker."

"Sergeant Parker, this is Inspector Price. I'm sorry to bother you."

"No problem sir. What can I do for you?"

"I'm calling to let you know that we have a problem regarding the prisoner transport that two of your men went on yesterday."

A feeling of dread settled over Greg. Sam and Spike were not only team members, but in some ways, de facto sons. "What type of problem sir?"

"The plane never made it to Saskatoon and it appears that it disappeared from radar about an hour after take-off."

"I'm assuming you haven't received word of a crash?" Greg reached over to the oven and turned the fire under the bacon off.

"Nothing confirmed. Transport Canada and NAV Canada are both working on locating the plane."

"Has anyone looked into the prisoner's criminal ties? His father controls a lot of the criminal activity coming up from the US."

"Right now we are treating this as a possible downed flight. Once the aircraft is located, then we will worry about the hows and whys."

"But if Hierra is behind the disappearance, that could help you narrow the search." Greg knew his tone sounded someone pleading, but he couldn't keep it from creeping into his voice.

"All of that information has been passed along, how they chose to proceed is their decision. I am calling to let you know that your team will stand down until further notice."

"What!" Greg was shocked. "I can't believe that someone isn't actively pursuing the connection and you want my team to stand down."

"Sergeant Parker, I understand that you are upset but this isn't your call. I'll let you know as soon as we know more." Inspector Price rang off.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Hey Dad," a sleepy looking Dean appeared at the kitchen door. "Burning pancakes again?"

"Sorry son. No, something has happened with work. I'm sorry but breakfast will have to wait. I've got to get to work."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay with this. It is High School Speech season and I have been busy writing pieces for speech and also coaching. But today we have no school due to ice and fog. So here is this chapter and I'll try to get another up as soon as possible. Don't worry, I will not let this story die a slow, painful death. Also, thanks so much for all of the reviews. I love hearing what you like and what you didn't. Constructive feedback makes me a better writer, so fire away.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Greg hurried to his room and started calling in his team. Not wanting to break the bad news to all of them over the phone, his first call was to Ed Lane. Greg had anticipated the reaction that Ed would have and did his best to calm his second in command down.

"I agree Ed, it is bull shit; that's why we are going in and starting to working on finding our guys. I need you to call Wordy and Lou. I'm going to call Jules and then swing by to pick her up."

"Alright Greg, but if it comes down to it, I'm not going to sit around on my hands while this gets kicked back and forth between Transport Canada and NAV."

"I didn't think you would. I'll see you at the barn as soon as I get Jules." Greg finished dressing and as he exited his room he was confronted by Dean and Clark.

"What's going on Dad?"

"Guys, I really don't have the time to go over everything with you right now."

"We're not little kids any more Dad. You can tell us." Dean pressed.

"The plane that Sam and Spike were on has disappeared and they think it might have crashed. They were escorting a high profile prisoner and I think that there might be more to it than meets the eye. I've called in the team and we are going to try to do something to help with running leads."

"Is there anything we can do?" Clark questioned.

"Pray."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Javier had contemplated setting out from the crash site and heading in the direction of Fort Hope. His lawyer had briefed him on the plan before he left but when the plane crashed Javier knew that he would have to improvise.

Pulling a branch free from the snow, he added it to the stack he had already begun. If he just bided his time the likelihood was that his father's employees would find him. Javier was confident that his father's money would be enough of an incentive to make sure that he was recovered as soon as possible. As for the two constables, well they would be eliminated. With luck, the wolves would eat well soon.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Jules was sitting on the couch watching a morning talk show. Had Sam been there she would have probably still been in bed, snuggled up tight in his embrace. As it was, she had woken up early and decided to get dressed. Now, after two cups of coffee, she was trying to decide what to do with herself.

The phone on the coffee table vibrated and she reached out for it, hoping that it was Sam. Greg Parker's name popped up on the screen and with just a touch of concern, Jules answered.

"Hey Boss. I'm not late for work am I?" She joked.

"No, still but our schedule has changed. I'm parked outside of your house Jules, can I come in?"

"Sure." Her concerns quickly became a single fear; something had happened to Sam. "I'll meet you at the door."

Greg climbed out of his car and made his way up the walkway towards Jules' house. She had bought it two years earlier and had been slowly remodeling it. Sam had started helping when the two began dating and this allowed the work to progress at a faster pace.

He reached out to ring the bell, but Jules had opened the door as he moved.

"Come in Sarge." Jules' face looked pale. "Can I get you coffee? I have some made already." She led him to the front room and motioned to a chair.

"Damn it," Greg thought to himself. There was no way to pretend that this visit wasn't something other than what it really was. He shook his head and spoke quietly, "No thank you Jules."

"Have a chair." Jules sat back down on the sofa and turned off the television. "What happened?"

"Sam and Spike's plane has disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"We don't know a lot right now, but the plane didn't arrive yesterday in Saskatoon. They are starting a search, but right now they have a large area to cover."

"Flight plans and radar, won't that show where they are?"

"It should, but apparently the plane went off the radar early in the flight."

Jules' mind reeled with the possibilities. "The guy they were transporting has ties to some big money drug gangs."

"Javier Hierra's father controls one of the larger North American rings. I mentioned that to Inspector Price, but they seem to think that this is more of a mechanical issue."

"But, shouldn't they be looking into all of the leads? Sounds suspicious to me."

"Agreed, but they seem to want to run with the other scenarios first. We've been told to stand down."

"We can't just leave the guys out there to dry!" Jules exclaimed vehemently. "I can't just sit back and wait."

"We aren't Jules. I'm bringing Team One in and we are going to start looking at the Hierras and see if we can find a lead on what role they might have played in this. We're not going to sit around and wait for the brass to find something."

Jules nodded her head in agreement. "I know you wouldn't Boss."

"Why don't you let me give you a ride into work and we can get started as soon as possible. Knowing Spike and Sam, they are probably lassoing a moose and will ride home if we don't find them soon enough." Greg tried to reassure his friend.

"Patience isn't one of Sam's strong suits."

"Hadn't noticed," Greg responded dryly. "Get your stuff and we'll get moving."

"Right Sarge."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike pulled at a large branch that was protruding from the snow but it held fast. It appeared that it was perhaps anchored to a larger chunk of wood beneath the snow. Using both hands he tried to free it, but all he received from his efforts was pain from his injured shoulder. Taking a moment to rest his arm, he looked up towards the sky. It was clear and cold, the temperature felt to be around the -6 Celsius mark. At least the physical exertion helped him stay warm.

Placing his boot upon the branch, he stepped down on it and a portion of it broke off with a satisfying crack. He slowly broke off the other smaller branches and decided to take his arm load back to the plane. He could check on Sam and Javier and then return for more.

Following his trail through the snow, Spike thought about what the chances of search planes finding them quickly were. The most reassuring thought was that the emergency locator would be transmitting their location.

Suddenly, a terrible thought ran through his mind. The last several years had seen an incredible advancement in technology. The older models were analog and were more difficult for searchers to use. Spike decided as soon as he returned to the plane he would look to see what model of locator the pilot had owned. Hopefully it would be digital.

But all thoughts of the locator evaporated as Spike approached the plane. Stepping into the small clearing that the downed plane had created, Spike saw Sam lying on the ground and Javier standing over him.

Yelling loudly and drawing his weapon, Spike rushed towards the men.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Jules and Greg were the last two that walked into the conference room. Grim faces looked up from several maps that were spread over the top of the large table.

"Greg, we've got Winnie working on locating where the most recent arrests of Hierra's men have been and if any are still in the system. I'm thinking if we get one or two of them in, we could maybe work our way up the ladder. Someone higher up would have to know if something was in the works."

"Good idea Ed. I haven't heard any more about the search."

Lou's mouth twisted into a grimace, "Why they weren't on top of this when the plane went off radar is what I want to know. I'm not looking forward to telling the Scarlatti's that their son is missing."

"Agreed Lou, in fact I think we should wait for a while longer before we call them. Let's get some positive leads to go on. Who knows, maybe Transport or NAV will have something soon." He tried to smile reassuringly. "So, Wordy and Greg I want you two out looking for any information on the streets. Lou and Jules, you get down to South Etobicoke and talk with anyone who is part of the gang or has had contact with Hierra."

The group stood up and prepared to disperse, when Greg spoke again. "I want to let you know that we aren't working this in the official capacity, so if you run into any roadblocks, refer them to me."

Somberly the group left, each member lost in their own thoughts.

"Winnie," Greg called. "I need you to try and find me a way to contact Victor Hierra."

"I'm on It boss." The young woman turned to go.

"Don't worry Winnie, we'll find him." Greg spoke in a comforting tone. He could see her shoulders hitch for a moment before she straightened her back.

"I know."

Greg turned and went back to the maps that lay across the table. A red marker traced what he assumed was the flight plan. Hundreds of kilometers and they could have deviated from the path, thus making the search even that more difficult. Sitting down, Greg pulled out his cell phone and placed his first call.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Lou and Jules had reached the detention center and had set up in one of the rooms that were available to lawyers for client meetings. They had the list of names that Winnie had supplied and were slowly making their way down it.

The first three men had laughed at them and had asked for their lawyers before they would answer any questions. Lou had reined in his temper, wanting to punch the smug faces and demand answers about his missing friend.

Jules however, had lost her composure when the third man refused to talk to them. "I swear to God, I'm am going to make sure you rot in prison Juan. If you ever think you are going to see your family again without needing a wheelchair, you are mistaken."

"Chica, I speak to you, I won't have a family to see."

After the prisoner had been removed, Jules slapped her hands on the table in frustration. "What good is this going to do if everyone is afraid to speak?"

"It helps confirm what Greg suspected." Lou reached out to give Jules a reassuring squeeze to her arm. "That this doesn't appear to be a simple case of a plane crash."

"That still doesn't help Sam and Spike. If anything it makes their chance of survival lower, Hierra's men aren't going to worry about two more obstacles."

"Hey, are you forgetting who those two men on that plane are? Sam and Spike won't be pushovers. Besides, we don't need to start thinking negatively. Let's stay positive."

Her face crumpled, "Its hard Lou."

Lou pulled her into a comforting embrace, "I know. But never give up on Sam. That man is going to move heaven and earth to get back to you."

Jules nodded. "I'm sorry; it's just that things were finally going right between us and now if something happens." Her voice trailed off.

"Why don't we take a five minute break and bring the next guy in. We need to make sure that we question everyone, you never know what someone might let slip."

"Thanks Lou."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"Winnie, I'm not getting an answer from the charter company that handled the flight. Can you get me any other connections for them?"

"Will do boss. I'm getting closer to finding you a direct line to Mr. Hierra, but it's still going to take a while. Sorry."

"That's fine, I know you are doing your best."

"I show that the owner of OneAir, Brian Doyle has a Monica Doyle listed as an employee."

"His wife?"

Winnie pulled up the woman's driver's license. "Looks younger and she is showing a different address than his."

"Maybe his daughter then? Give me her address and phone number, I think I'll pay her a visit and see what she knows."

"Got it boss. I'm sending it to your phone."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"I find it hard to believe that this area has gone downhill so quickly. It was a great neighborhood when I first started as a beat cop." Wordy looked around as Ed drove slowly down the street.

"That's the problem with drugs, it brings the crime in with it and soon the good people can't fight the fight." Ed shook his head in disgust. "That's what bothers me when people talk about drugs usage as no big deal and that it doesn't hurt anyone."

"Agreed. Hold it Ed, stop. I think I see something." Wordy exited the vehicle as soon as it stopped. "Hey, you!" He shouted to a young black man. "I want to talk to you."

The young man seeing Wordy and Ed took off down an alley.

"I'll follow; you try to head him off." Wordy shouted as he took off in pursuit.

"Copy that." Ed jumped back into the driver's seat and started it.

Wordy had lost sight of the young man for a moment as he rounded a corner, but just ahead he could see the man duck into a doorway.

Advancing carefully he slid around the corner of the door, only to be met with a low chuckle behind him.

"Hello constable."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Greg had tried to call Monica Doyle five times during his drive over to her apartment. Each time it went to voicemail and a bright, bubbly voice instructed him to leave a message and she would return it.

Pulling up outside the small apartment complex, Greg got out of the vehicle and made his way to her apartment. It was located in the lower corner of the building, with a cement block retaining wall that blocked it from view of the parking lot.

As he reached her door, Greg noticed it was not closed tightly. He stood to the side and knelt down slightly. Reaching up he slowly pushed the door open and peered into the first room.

With a large sigh, he stood up and pulled out his phone. "Winnie, get me a squad over to Monica Doyle's apartment."

Author's note: So many people left hanging! What to do, what to do? Don't worry, I already know!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's notes: Thanks for all the reviews yesterday. As promised, here is another chapter. I'll update within the week, fingers crossed.

_****__**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

When the police car pulled up in the parking lot, Greg was stringing crime tape. The two uniformed officers hurried over to where he was working to secure the end of the perimeter.

"What do we have Sergeant?" The lead officer asked.

"Appears to be a homicide, victim is Monica Doyle. I had stopped over to ask her a few questions and I found the door open. I looked inside and I could see her body."

"Did you go inside?"

"Just over to her, I wanted to see if she was still alive." Greg shook his head, "Then I came back out and called for you guys."

"Any chance that what you wanted to see her about is what got her killed?" The lead officer was a sharp one.

"Couldn't really say. I was actually going to ask her a few questions about her father." Greg's tone indicated that he wasn't going to answer any additional questions. "Guys, if you have any further questions you know where to find me."

"Thank you Sergeant. We'll be in touch." The lead officer sounded less than pleased that Greg was leaving before he had answered all of his questions answered.

Greg climbed back into his vehicle and placed a call to Jules. "How's it going at the detention center?"

"We've got nothing so far."

"I went to see the pilot's daughter but someone had already been to her apartment and killed her."

"Oh my God." Jules felt sick, "Someone obviously thought she knew something."

"I would agree. I picked up her cellphone and I want you to meet me back at the barn. I'm hoping you can work some magic and see what it might have on it."

"Will do Boss. Do you want me to have Lou stay here and keep questioning?"

"Yes, I'll swing over and help him while you work on the phone."

"Have you heard if Wordy and Ed have found anything?"

"No, they'll call when they do. I don't want to interrupt them if they have a lead on something."

_****__**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Wordy's heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears as he stepped into the darkened doorway. He had only taken two steps in when he heard a sound behind him.

"Hello Constable."

"Damn it Raf, you know I can't keep up with you like that." Wordy panted.

"Sorry my friend, but the bangers around here know that I can outrun anyone. I would hate for them to be disappointed."

"Tell that to Shelley when I have a heart attack."

"Guess you better get out from behind that desk more often, you SRU guys get soft." Rafik Rousseau smiled widely. "Raf" had been a friend of Wordy's for several years and had recently taken on an undercover stint with the task force looking into gangs.

"That must be why I saw your name on a list of possible recruits for SRU." Wordy teased back.

"Hey, it's not like I'm not happy to see you, but I can't be out of sight too long with you around. Don't want to give the boys any reason to suspect me. What do you need?"

Wordy sobered, "Looking into something that Hierra gang might be working on. Two of our guys were transporting the son and their plane is now missing."

"Damn, that is big. I haven't heard anything, but then again I haven't been over in their territory much. Why don't I go over tonight and see what I can find out?"

"I'd really appreciate that Raf." Wordy shook the undercover officer's hand. "I guess I don't need to tell you to be careful."

"Careful is my middle name."

"Somehow I doubt that." Wordy smiled and then put a serious look on his face as he stepped back out into the alleyway. He dialed Ed and made sure to speak loud enough that any ears in the area would hear him. "Bastard got away from me. I'll meet you over on 35th Street. Let someone else serve a warrant on him."

Raf made his way through the darkness of the deserted building and exited out the other side. Putting some swagger into his step, he made his way down the street in the opposite direction.

Several blocks down, LeVon, on of Toronto's finest citizens caught up with Raf.

"What did the pigs want?"

"How the fuck should I know? I didn't wait around to hear what they were wanting." Raf stopped to pull out a cigarette and light it.

"You one lucky son-of-a-bitch, I can never outrun them." LeVon groused.

"Maybe if you stop smoking what you sell, you might be able to. Hell, my gramma could beat you in a race and she's got a walker."

"Yeah, well." LeVon was stumped with a comeback.

"So, what we planning on tonight?" Raf asked.

"Don't have no plans yet."

"Why don't we head over towards Marshall and check out what's new."

"What? You thinking of looking for some work with Hierra's crew?"

Raf shrugged. "Don't know, guess it depends on what they might be needing."

The two men continued down the street towards the hotel they both rented from. Raf hoped that he would find some answers for his friend tonight.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

They had several planes up looking for an indication of a crash. One thing about it, Mr. Hierra had deep pockets.

The man sitting in the co-pilot's seat was scanning the woods and consulting a map that had been drawn to show where the most likely position of the plane could be.

It was only mid-morning and he hoped that before nightfall he would have good news to report.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Jules had been working on the cell phone for a short time and had been rewarded with the access to the voicemail and text messages. She listened to each carefully and wrote down those that appeared to be of interest.

One such message was from Brian Doyle, the pilot and the girl's father. It was short and somewhat muffled. "Monica, Dad. I'm getting ready to fly out. I want you to leave work and go home. Don't open the door to anyone until I get back. Love you."

Having been told to not open her door indicated that Doyle knew something was going to happen and that he was worried about his daughter's safety. So was the person that came to her door someone she had known, or did she not take her father's warning seriously.

Jules looked through the contacts list and saw that there were several numbers that were called often. Turning to her computer, she started the task of looking up the identity of those people behind the numbers.

She had been lost in thought when she heard someone pulling up the chair beside her. It was Winnie and in her hand she held a cup of coffee. "I thought you could possibly use this."

"Thanks Winnie, I really appreciate it."

"Any luck?"

"Not sure if you could call it luck, but her dad left a message warning her. It had been listened to, so either she knew the person or didn't take her dad seriously."

"Doesn't seem to give us any new information to go on." Winnie's voice was laced with disappointment. "Jules, I'm wondering. How do you manage to stay so calm, I mean with Sam being out there?"

"I just tell myself that Sam is well equipped to handle whatever comes his way and that if the situation was reversed I would do whatever I needed to do to make it back with to him. Plus, with Spike with him, he's got the Professor."

"The professor?" Winnie looked confused.

"You ever watch reruns of Gilligan's Island?"

"No, what is it?"

"A show about a bunch of random people that get stranded together on a tropical island and one of them is a professor. They can't get off the island, but this professor makes all of these things out of coconuts and stuff. Well, Sam and I were watching tv one night and this show comes on. Half way through, Sam is assigning roles to the members of Team One. Spike was the professor."

Winnie nodded her head, vowing to herself to Google the show to see for herself. "I'm glad they are together. Spike thinks Sam is a great guy."

"He is. Like I said Winnie, they will be fine."

"I better get back to work. Thanks Jules."

"No problem." Jules went back to her screen sipping the cup of coffee. Winnie was such a help to Team One, it wasn't any surprise that she would be concerned over the two missing members.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike closed the distance between him and the two men quickly. Javier raised his hands and stepped away from the prone body of Sam. Spike motioned for Javier to keep moving back as he knelt near his friend. There were no visible injuries other than the ones he had received in the crash.

"What happened?" Spike demanded.

"I have no idea. I just returned and saw him there. I was getting ready to see if I could help when you came busting through the woods."

"Sam?" Spike spoke gently to his friend. "Sam, can you open your eyes for me buddy?"

Sam groaned lightly and mumbled something that Spike couldn't understand.

"Go grab a bottle of water."

"Are you now trusting me?"

Spike turned the gun towards Javier again, "Don't push it, go get me a bottle of water."

Javier walked quickly into the plane and located a water bottle. He had been telling the truth about finding Sam lying on the ground. However his decision to take the advantage of a downed target and kill the constable had been thwarted by the return of the second man.

Returning to the two men, Javier handed Spike the bottle and then moved to the other side of the clearing. He watched with detached amusement as the constable tried to bring his co-worker back to consciousness.

Spike let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when Sam's eyes finally opened. Encouraging Sam to slowly sit up, Spike held the bottle for him while he took small sips. Several minutes later Sam felt strong enough to stand up with Spike's assistance.

"Like I told you Spike, I came outside to get some fresh air because I was feeling dizzy. Next thing I knew, the world was tilting and I was going down with it."

"So Javier wasn't around?"

"Not that I saw. Just felt real dizzy."

"Ok Samtastic, let's get you back inside and see if we can all warm up a little." Spike helped Sam make his way back into the plane. Once Sam was settled, Spike went back out and crossed over to where Javier sat.

"I'm sorry I thought that you had done something to Sam. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Spike was sincere as he spoke. Just because this man was a convicted felon didn't mean that he wasn't a human being. "I hope you can understand and realize that we are all going to need to work together."

"De nada. I do understand. But I would like you to understand that it too is my hope to get found. Even jail food sounds good right now." Javier put on his most congenial expression; a mask he had learned long ago to wear when trying to put others at ease.

"Yeah, I would have to agree with you. Why don't we go in and have a few cookies. I think we missed breakfast, so we can call it brunch."

"And after we should stock some more wood." Javier continued with his role of model prisoner.

"Yeah." Spike agreed. "Hey you go in and I'll be there in just a few minutes. There is something I want to check on."

Spike made his way towards the rear of the plane. He knew that the locator would most likely be installed in the back to protect it from damage. Looking at the top of the plane he quickly spotted the antenna that would allow the unit's signal to be sent skyward.

He circled the back looking for an access panel. Finding it, he pried it open and looked inside, hoping to see the newer digital model. Instead a look of disbelief crossed his face. There was no emergency locator. The wires leading to the antenna were clipped and the mounting bracket was empty.

Spike slammed his hand hard into the side of the plane, only to be reminded instantly of how much his shoulder still hurt. "Son-of-a-bitch!" He yelled.

Sam's muffled voice called from inside. "Spike? What's wrong?"

Spike spun around and hurried into the plane. Glaring at Javier, Spike spit out the news. "I suppose you wouldn't have an idea where it went would you?"

"Me?" Javier shot back, "When would I have done such a thing. Besides don't you realize that this puts me in jeopardy as well?"

"He's got a point Spike. Besides, how would he have cut through the wires?" Sam inserted.

Spike conceded that point. "But I sure the hell bet you're the reason we're in this mess."

"Spike, it doesn't matter right now." Sam's face looked pale. "What we need is to do something to help them find us."

"What? Our phones won't work and the radio is broken beyond repair!" Spike was beside himself. "I'm pretty sure that I can't fix this plane either."

"We are in the woods, we can make a fire outside and use some of the fuel to get it going." Sam tried to calm his friend. "Plus we can add some oil to it so that it burns darker. Searchers will be able to see it from quite a ways off."

"Assuming that they are even looking for us in this area," Spike wasn't willing to let go of his frustrations that quickly. "We both know that we were off course."

"We just can't sit here and wait for someone to just happen by."

"I know that Sam, I'm just pissed as hell." Spike finally ran out of steam.

Javier stood up and looked at the two men, "I for one like Braddock's idea. I'm going out to find more wood." With that he slipped out of the plane and headed back into the woods.

"Sam, I'm sorry that I got so upset. How are you feeling?"

"Won't lie to you Spike. I'm really dizzy and my vision keeps doubling."

"Don't worry, I'll go help Javier collect some wood and we will be out of here soon."

Sam nodded, his eyes closed tightly to ward off nausea. "Thanks Spike."

"Buddy, you'd do the same for me. I better get going before Javier saves us; won't sound too good in the official report."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Javier smiled as he picked up wood. He also knew that they were off the original course, but that bode well for him. His father's men would be looking for him and now a rescue fire would assist in that search.

The big decision he need to make was should he kill the constables now or wait for his father's men to do it. Weighing his options he decided that he should wait; if by chance someone else found them first it wouldn't do to have two dead bodies that a crash couldn't explain. Plus, it kept the blood from his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's notes: **_I am so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Not only have I been very busy working with my students to prepare for speech competitions, I've also started auditioning students for the spring play. Top it off with my flash drive disappearing for a week; the cat had decided it would be a good toy to bat around the house. I have since forbidden the cat to use the computer and have sworn (again) to save in more than one place.

I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed and those that are following. You really make writing this worthwhile.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The hours slipped by quickly and still they had no concrete leads. Greg pushed his chair back away from the table in frustration. Add in the fact that the Transport Canada and NAV had discovered nothing and with a quick look at the clock, the first twenty-four hours had just passed.

Ed's own frustration was mounting at the inactivity, he was a man of action and sitting here at headquarters was wearing on his nerves. He would have preferred to jump in a vehicle and drive off to find the two men. That of course was the problem; where to look?

Jules was sitting quietly looking at her cell phone. Even though a tone would sound to let her know that she had a new text, she had found herself glancing at it frequently; hoping for Sam to respond to the text she had sent him the night before. She pushed the button that dimmed the screen; there was nothing new to see.

Across the table, Wordy and Lou sat together looking through phone records of the pilot and his daughter. They were hoping to find a number that might somehow lead them to Hierra. Winnie had continued to hit a brick wall when it came to locating a number for the man. Each number that didn't correspond with a number in the data base was circled and researched.

Winnie walked into the room and handed a piece of paper to Greg. "This just came across the channels. They are releasing the information about the missing plane at 4:00pm. Deputy Chief Holleran is holding it downtown."

"Shit," Ed spoke first. "That means we are going to need to let their parents know. I'm not worried as much about Sam's, but the Scarlatti's aren't going to take it well."

Looking at his watch, Greg nodded and stood up. "Agreed. Lou, why don't you and I head over to their place right now? We can break the news and stay with them for a while. The rest of you, finish up on this phone list and then take off for the day. We'll be back here at 7:30 a.m."

Winnie had stood quietly while Greg had given the team directions. Her face was set with a grim expression and only Jules had been looking her way. Had she not, no one would have seen the tears starting to leak from the corners of the dispatcher's eyes. Turning quickly, Winnie hurried from the room and darted into the women's locker room.

Jules slid out of her seat, "I'll be right back."

"Everything alright?" Greg questioned.

"Yes, just too much Timmy's."

The interior of the locker room was quiet. Team Three were already out on the street and with the exception of Jules and Winnie, the rest of the personnel currently in the building were male. With no one in the stalls, Jules knew that Winnie must be sitting on the bench near the lockers.

"Winnie? It's Jules. Can I do something for you?" Jules spoke from around the corner so that the other woman would have time to compose herself.

There was a brief pause before Winnie answered. "I'm fine."

Jules ventured around the corner of the row of lockers and could see the young woman wiping her eyes with a tissue. "I'm female; I know what that really means." She sat down and looked at Winnie. "It's going to be alright."

"I want to believe that, but there is so much more stacking against them with every passing hour." Winnie wiped at her eyes again. "I should be the one comforting you."

"This is more than just the team isn't it?" Jules realized that Winnie's reaction seemed to be deeper than what might be expected.

"I don't know yet. Spike asked me out and I had told him that I had a rule about dating cops, because I needed balance in my life." Winnie smiled ruefully. "He hasn't given up yet, said that I hadn't mentioned no having cop friends." She laughed slightly at the memory. "He is bound and determined that if we become best friends first then I can't possibly turn him down."

"How long has that been going on?"

"Six months. We've been going to movies and dancing. He hasn't even tried to kiss me."

"Sounds like you've already changed your mind." Jules smiled softly at her co-worker.

"I didn't it realize it until today." Winnie's face crumbled, "Now I'm too late."

"No!" Jules spoke harshly. "You are not too late. The guys are going to be fine. We just need to work on bringing them home."

"I'm sorry Jules," Winnie turned and hugged the other woman. "Thank you."

"Just remember to keep the faith. The guys will come back and we'll be the ones that will have to listen to them brag about how easy it was for them."

Winnie stood and wiped her eyes one more time. "Then I better get working, the sooner they are back the sooner we get to hear their story."

"Exactly and if I know those two, it's going to be dramatic."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

They had worked all morning dragging wood for the fire and also the signal fire. At roughly noon, Spike had called for a break and the men sat around the fire eating two cookies each. Sam had been working on separating the wood that would burn easier for the fire from the other wood that would be used for a signal. Even with the lighter work, his face was etched with fatigue.

"Sam, I think we've got enough wood for a day or two. Why don't you lie down for a while?" Spike took a drink of water and passed it over to his friend.

"Yeah, I could go for a nap." Sam reached for the water but missed.

"Still got that double vision?"

"Think that I'd learn to know which way to reach." Sam moved his hand and made contact with the bottle.

"I wouldn't worry; you got your bell rung pretty good." Spike lied smoothly. "Take a nap and Javier and I will get the signal fire ready."

Javier climbed to his feet and exited the plane. Moments later, Spike was standing by his side.

"I want you to keep bringing in wood while I working on getting some fuel out of the tank." Spike's tone had lost the optimism that he had used inside.

"Are we going to light it when we hear a plane or are we going to keep it going all day?" Javier questioned.

"I think that as soon as I get enough fuel to light it I will. Maybe a search plane will see the smoke. Not knowing exactly where we are I'm guessing that there might not be a satellite that could pick it up."

"I'll get more wood then." Javier headed back into the forest where he had been collecting downed limbs.

Spike set about trying to find something that he could use to siphon fuel from the tank. Pulling at some hosing, he calculated how much he would need. He pulled out his tactical knife and sliced through the tube. Fluid leaked out and stained the snow below. Being careful to avoid getting himself covered in the liquid, Spike cut the other end of the line and let it drain out.

Spike had carried out the soft sided cooler that had held the water and soda that the pilot had brought along for the flight. It would work as a bucket to help transfer the fuel from the hose to the pile of wood that was destined to be the signal.

Checking to make sure that the hose was empty, Spike threaded it into the fuel tank. Wiping off the end of the line that he held, he grimaced. "Not looking forward to this." He began sucking on the end of the hose, working to pull the fuel far enough into the hose that gravity would take over.

The taste of the hydraulic fluid that had originally flowed through the line made Spike grimace. Putting his thumb over the line to prevent the fuel from slipping back into the tank, Spike spit, trying to clear the tasted from his mouth. He went back to the hose and continued pulling the fuel towards him.

It seemed an eternity before he had moved the fluid level far enough to let the gravity pull it the remainder of the way. He filled the cooler and then doubled the hose over and put a rubber band around it. He would have to fill the cooler several times to soak the wood that had been collected.

Javier returned dragging another large branch and he went to work breaking off the smaller limbs and laying them on the pile.

"Start looking for greener wood or some pine boughs, it will make for a smoky fire." Spike had filled his second cooler bag and was carrying it back to the pile of wood.

"Pine boughs?"

"Like Christmas tree branches. Not too many forest in Mexico?"

"Not where my family comes from. Of course the desert gets cold at night."

Spike laughed lightly at this. "Probably not like this. I guess it's a good thing that we have work to keep us warm. Once that sun drops we will start cooling down fast."

"I guess I should go get more wood then. Perhaps we will be found yet today."

"Yeah, maybe." Spike had filled up the cooler for a third time. "I think this might be enough to get us started."

"Do you have a lighter?"

"Nope, I don't smoke and neither does Sam." Spike poured the fuel over the wood.

"I suppose you will rub two sticks together, just like in the movies."

"I could, but I think I'll just use the batteries in one of the flashlights. Plenty of metal lying around, I'll be able to get a spark easy enough."

"I'm impressed that the police teach such things." Javier finished putting the last of the wood on the pile.

"They don't, I just liked blowing things up when I was a kid. My folks started hiding the matches, so I had to get creative."

"Just like the t.v. show I watched as a boy, MacGyver."

"Yeah, something like that." Spike looked around the torn airplane to find the type of metal that he needed. "Go get the rest of the wood that we need, I'm going to start the fire."

Javier turned and headed out of the clearing that had been created by the crash. The cold was starting to settle deep within him and he found himself thinking of the heat of the desert Southwest. Once his father's men found him, he would return to Mexico and hopefully he would never spend another day in the cold.

Spike found the metal he needed and pulled two batteries out of the flashlight from the plane. It took only moments for him to create a spark. He ignited the small pile of tinder and gradually added some fuel soaked wood.

The fire took off nicely, producing a thick black smoke that climbed upwards. Spike stepped back and smiled briefly at the fire. Hopefully the smoke would be seen by a search plane. He moved the cooler bag away from the fire and retreated into the plane to check on Sam.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Miles away a watchful eye caught sight of a thin tendril of smoke rising from the forest below.

"Look! I think that looks like smoke." He pointed in the direction of the smoke.

"A cabin?"

"No, it's getting darker. We need to check it out."

"Should I radio it in?"

"No. Let's take a fly-over first and see if we spot him. I would hate for this to be a false alarm."

"Agreed, I wouldn't want to disappoint the boss."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Javier had returned with an armful of branches from an evergreen tree. The fire was burning vigorously and he tossed the branches, one at a time, onto the heap. The fire snapped and popped as it burned.

He stood watching it, feeling mesmerized by the flames. Javier might have stood there for hours, but he heard a faint buzz in the distance. Scanning the sky he moved towards the most open part of the clearing.

Several minutes later a small plane flew by at a low altitude. Spike having heard the noise had come back out of the plane and the two men stood waving their arms; hoping to gain the attention of those aboard the aircraft.

The plane circled around and waggled its wings. A smile broke out on both men's faces, the plane had seen them.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Greg climbed slowly back into his car. The last hour had been his worst nightmare. He and Lew had gone to the Scarlatti's home and had informed them that their son was missing.

He had prepared himself for the situation he had anticipated. He assumed that both Mrs. And Mr. Scarlatti would be upset and he would have to comfort them and try to encourage them. What he hadn't expected was the venomous anger from Spike's father. Not at the department, but at Spike himself.

Mr. Scarlatti had listened to Greg explaining the situation and without warning the older man had gotten up and walked over to the wall where a series of family photos were displayed. Pulling the one of Spike off of the wall, he had turn it over on the coffee table and looked at his wife. "I have no son."

It was at that point Mrs. Scarlatti had broken into tears and this prompted her husband to start cursing his child. Lew had cornered Mrs. Scarlatti and had convinced her to go to the kitchen with him, requesting a cup of coffee. Greg had started working on the husband.

It didn't take long for Greg to lose all patience with the man. "I could only wish my son would grow up to be half of the man that your son is."

"My son? My son does this to me and his mother. What child brings this misery to his parents?"

"Your son is doing his job and he does it well."

"Ahh, he could be doing amazing things in a laboratory. In a laboratory his mother wouldn't have to cry herself to sleep tonight."

"I can see I'm not going to change your mind Mr. Scarletti." Greg voice was like sharpened steel, "I will let you know as soon as we know more."

Greg headed into the kitchen and traded looks with Lew.

"Boss, I'm going to stay for a while longer if that's alright."

Clamping a hand down on the younger man's shoulder, Greg spoke to his team member. "I think that would be a good idea. I'll see you back at the barn in the morning."

"Copy that boss."

Greg walked out the door, thinking to himself, "Spike I don't know how you do it buddy."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's notes: Thanks for hanging with me. Two chapters to go and the next one is going to be a doozy! Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews and thanks for those of you following and favoriting this story. You are the best part of writing!

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Winnie had changed out of her uniform, but had set up shop in the briefing room. She was beginning to think that trying to find a phone number to contact Hierra was a fool's errand. She had just hit another brick wall and had decided that this path was a dead end. Picking up the phone, Winnie attempted one more number.

It took a minute for everything to connect, but a minute later she was speaking with a woman whose English was thick with a Hispanic accent.

Identifying herself, Winnie switched to Spanish and spoke with the woman. She was shocked to learn that this was Senor Hierra's private estate in Mexico. Winnie explained that they were trying to reach Hierra to let him know that his son was missing.

"No, you are mistaken. My son received a phone call a little while ago. They have found Javier. Gracias a Dios!"

"I apologize then for my call then. Was it Transport Canada that called? Perhaps they have forgotten to call us."

"It was one of the men that had been searching for Javier. He told Miguel that they had found the plane and Javier." The woman paused for a moment. "Here comes my son, why don't I let you speak with him and he can tell you more."

"Mama, who are you on the phone with?" A male voice spoke in the background.

"It is someone from the police in Canada. She wanted to tell you about Javier missing, but I told the good news."

"Mama! Please go into the living room and watch your t.v. program." A male voice came onto the line. "Who is this?"

"Hello, is this Senor Hierra? I'm from the Toronto police department."

"I don't care who you are, how dare you call my house and disturb my mother. She is not a well woman and I'm afraid she isn't handling Javier's disappearance well."

"She mentioned that Javier had been found."

"I pray he will, but she is an old woman and lives inside her own world. She has decided that Javier has been found and now she believes it."

"So, you haven't heard anything about your son?"

"No I have not. Now, if you please I must go look after my mother. Good-bye." The phone was hung up, leaving Winnie holding onto the handset.

Frowning to herself, she replayed the conversation in her head. The woman had sounded very lucid and the way Hierra rushed to tell Winnie that his mother was not in her right mind set off an alarm bell. Winnie hung up the phone and reached for her cell phone, she hesitated for only a moment before she hit Greg's name on her contact list.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike gave a triumphant shout as the plane waggled its wings at them. He even flashed a smile in the direction of Javier. "All right! We should be out of here before we know it."

"How long do you think it will be?"

"Depends on how close we are to a road or landing spot. If a helicopter can land close it might still be today. Otherwise, I would imagine sometime tomorrow. I'm hoping for the helicopter, Sam's head injury is starting to really worry me."

"Is it more than just a concussion?" Javier had noticed no official markings on the plane that would indicate it was part of an agency, but that didn't mean anything. He would have to be ready to take advantage of the situation. If he could disarm the constables he could then force the plane to take him somewhere that he could disappear from. The man with the head injury would be his first choice to take on in an attempt to get a gun.

"I'm not really sure. I do know that he needs medical attention and we are getting closer to that happening." Spike glanced at the wood pile. "We could use come more dry wood for the inside fire, especially if they don't make it here before dark."

"I would really like a chance to sit down and rest for a few minutes. Walking through the snow is hard work."

"Take a break and I'll start working on finding some more." Spike nodded at the prisoner. "You've been a huge help, thanks."

"As I've said before constable, I want nothing more than to be rescued as well."

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate what you've done." Spike headed towards the path that Javier had been taking. "I'll be back with wood in a few minutes."

As soon as Spike disappeared from sight, Javier ducked into the plane and walked towards the sleeping man.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Winnie's conversation with Greg had been short. He had also agreed with Winnie that it appeared suspicious that Hierra had quickly denied what his mother had told her. Telling the young dispatcher to go home for the evening, Greg contacted his own supervisor to relate the conversation.

After unsuccessfully trying three times to reach him by phone, Greg punched in another number. Hopefully, he would reach his boss at home.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"Hey Wordy, it's Raf. Damn, I hate talking to voicemail. Anyway, I went poking around tonight to see if I could catch any word of what Hierra's play might be. Sounds like a lot of his guys have headed out of town. A guy I know that works for them said that they were headed north on a hunting trip. I can guarantee that the only thing these guys are used to hunting is their next lay. If I find out any more I'll give you a call."

The cell phone had vibrated when the call came in, but Wordy had left it sitting on the charger in his bedroom. He was going to shower, but Shelley had asked him to read bedtime stories to the girls. It was during his second story that he dozed off lying next to his youngest daughter; her warmth and steady breathing had lulled the man to sleep.

Shelley had been finishing up the evenings dishes and then sat down to sort a load of socks. Completing her task she decided to sit for a few minutes, but soon she too had dozed off after a busy day.

In the upstairs bedroom, the phone beeped to indicate the new voicemail.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Lew had finally left the Scarlatti home after spending several hours calming down Mrs. Scarlatti. Spike's father had retreated to the upstairs shortly after Greg's departure. He didn't say it, but Lew could see that the worry about his son was the cause for his caustic remarks. Lew knew that the Scarlatti's were an open and loving family, but Mr. Scarlatti didn't know how to talk about the feelings of dread that consumed him.

Arriving at home, he decided to call his own parents. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Lew hit the button that would dial his parent's home. "Hello Mom." He smiled as he heard a female voice greeting him. "I'm glad I was able to reach you. Ever since I moved out I don't think you and Dad ever stay home long enough to answer the phone."

He laughed at his Mom's reply. "I wanted to call and let you know about what's going on here at work. We've got a situation."

Anyone listening to his side of the conversation might have been able to anticipate Lew's mothers own questions.

"Spike and Sam were transporting a prisoner and the plane they were in has disappeared."

"The search started today, the plane was overdue last night and we found out this morning."

"No, there's nothing you can do Mom."

"Yeah, prayer is always good too."

"Hey Mom, I want to tell you how much I love you and Dad."

"No, no reason. I don't think I remember to say it enough."

"Thanks Mom. Tell Dad hello for me and I will let you know as soon as we hear something. What?"

"Yes, I'm sure Mrs. Scarlatti would enjoy some company tomorrow. Just call me before you head over, alright?"

"Night Mom."

Lew disconnected the call and decided to rummage through the refrigerator for something to snack on. Settling on an orange, he sat down on the couch and flipped on the news. Not surprising, the top story was about the disappearance of the plane.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

She had tried to eat something, but every bite of the turkey sandwich was a chore. After the fourth bite, Jules tossed it into the trash, feeling a pang of guilt over being wasteful. "I know Mom, starving children in Cambodia."

A book in the front room wasn't enough to provide the distraction she needed; nor was the television. Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was eight p.m. already, she decided to take a bath and go to bed. Filling the over-sized soaking tub with hot water, she sprinkled in a little of the bath salts that Sam's sister, Natalie, had given her for Christmas.

Jules hung her robe on the door and slid into the water. Adjusting the water temperature, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Memories of time spent together flooded her mind and her eyes snapped open; trying to keep her thoughts from turning negative.

The water level had reached the desired depth and she reached up to turn the water off. The scent of the salts made took her back to the last time she had used them.

_It had been a difficult day at work. A hostage situation had turned deadly and at the end of the day a father and his five year-old daughter were dead. Jules had sat with the grieving mother, trying to find the right words to comfort her._

_Eventually, the woman's sister arrived and was able to take over the role Jules had been playing. Back at work, everyone had been subdued and when the shift finally ended Jules hurried home for a bath._

_She had been sitting in the tub, trying to make sense out of a senseless act, when the bathroom door eased open._

_Without a word Sam moved into the tub behind her. His hands caressed her shoulders and massaged the tightened muscles. "It wasn't your fault."_

_She couldn't speak, the tears that had been held at bay for so long now spilled from her eyes. Nodding mutely, she continued to lean into his touch._

"_Even the Boss couldn't talk him into surrendering. That man went to his home with the intent to hurt his wife in the worst way possible."_

_Her voice cracked, "Who could hate someone so much that they would be able to kill their own child just to spite the other person? I understand he was mad and hurt, but to end the life of that child? Why Sam?"_

"_I wish I knew Jules, I wish I knew."_

_It could have been minutes or hours, she wasn't really sure, but Sam helped her from the tub and wrapped a towel around her._

_After drying off, Sam slid her robe back onto her thin frame. His arms wrapped around her; comforting, protecting, giving her the strength to look forward._

Jules found the tears streaming down her cheeks as she returned to the present; the water in the tub had grown cold.

Later, she lay in their bed; she hugged the pillow that Sam used. She could smell his aftershave clinging to it and she fell into a fitful sleep.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

It was cold. Strange how in Afghanistan with its deserts it could get that cold. He had been on patrol and his fingers were so cold he doubted if he could even pull the trigger if he needed to. He must have been distracted because now he was on his back and a hostile was standing over him.

Sam could feel the Taliban member's hands grabbing at him. Swatting them away, a burst of pain behind his eyes caused him to lower his guard. The hands were back and this time Sam swung wildly, unseeing. He felt his fist connect and heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh; but it was still too dark to see. He waited, ready to defend himself if the threat returned.

Javier stood to the side and rubbed his cheek. The constable had been deeply asleep when Javier started looking for his gun. But no sooner had he began his search; the man had struck out at him. Having missed, Javier tried for the gun a second time. He had just pulled it from the holster when Sam had struck a second time, catching him in the face.

"Anyone there?" Sam whispered sharply. His eyes open and darting around the plane.

Javier stood quietly, Sam would see him and that would force him to take the matter of what to do with the police into his own hands. He waited, thinking of what the best way to kill the man would be.

"Ben? Ben? Where are you?" Sam paused. He reached a hand out and felt around him, his face turning up in a look of confusion. "Ben, I can't see you. Where are we?"

The man was obviously still confused. Javier watched as the injured man settled down, perhaps chalking up the incident as a dream. Moving stealthily towards the opening, Javier slid the gun down the back of his pants. Having a weapon in his possession, he felt more comfortable that whatever happened next he would have the advantage.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike pulled the large branch into the rough clearing that had been made by the plane going down. He could see Javier standing near the pile of wood, breaking the larger pieces into smaller ones that would burn easier in their makeshift fireplace.

"I found a downed tree a little further in. Follow my trail and you'll come to it." Spike started breaking up the wood he had brought in.

Javier turned and went wordlessly into the woods. Once out of range, he stopped and pulled out the gun. Releasing the magazine catch, Javier caught the magazine as it slipped out. Thumbing out the bullets, he counted them. Fourteen left, more than enough to neutralize the threat posed by the constables.

Smiling, he tucked the gun back into his prison issued blue jeans and pulled the sweatshirt he wore over them. Soon he would be back home where he belonged and this would be nothing more than a bad dream.

After breaking up the branch, Spike picked up an armload of the wood and ducked into the plane. Setting it near the fireplace, he carefully feed some more wood into the fire. The flames caught on the dry wood and the fire began throwing off more heat.

Satisfied that fire was properly stoked, Spike turned to check on Sam. Covered with the two blankets that they had found in the storage compartment, Sam appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Knowing that he had been sleeping for a while, Spike went over to get a closer look.

"How are you doing buddy?" Spike spoke softly, not intending to wake his friend.

"Ben?"

Reaching out Spike laid his hand softly on Sam's shoulder. "Sam, its Spike."

"Spike?" Sam sounded confused. "Where are we?"

"In the plane, remember?"

"Why is it so dark? I can't see you." A note of panic crept into his words.

"It's getting dark out, so it's darker in here."

"It's like being in a cave. I think I was dreaming about Afghanistan earlier."

"Sam, do you want to drink a little water. We don't need you getting dehydrated."

"Yeah," Sam straightened up a little. "I'll drink some."

Holding the bottle out to his friend, Spike waited for Sam to reach for it. When he didn't, Spike took Sam's hand and placed the bottle in it. Sam raised the bottle to his lips and drank.

"Sam, I need you to tell me if you can see the fire." Spike looked to the fire and the feeble light it was throwing out. He watched for Sam's reaction.

"I'm not seeing it. Did it go out?" Worry was evident in his tone.

"No, but its real low right now." Spike tucked the blankets back around his friend. "I want you to close your eyes and get some rest. A rescue party will be here very soon, a plane spotted us."

"That's great." Sam's voice was fading as he returned to sleep.

"Yeah, it is buddy." Spike patted Sam's shoulder and stood up. Walking outside into the slowly deepening shadows, he thought about the situation.

Sam's eyesight was deteriorating and he was sleeping more, obviously his head injury was more serious than just a concussion. Spike glanced to the sky and tossed up a rapid prayer in Italian. Hopefully someone would be coming soon.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The men had gathered around detailed maps that should the terrain around the crash site. A spot almost two miles to the north appeared to have enough of a clearing to allow for a helicopter to land.

The decision was made to head out just before dawn so that when they reached the clearing there would be light enough to land. Once on the ground, the pilot would stay with the helicopter and three men would set out towards the crash site.

Once there, they would retrieve Javier and if necessary, eliminate any other survivors.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Wordy opened his eyes and realized that Shelley was shaking his arm gently. His youngest daughter had maneuvered herself into a position that caused her to trap her father's arm underneath her. Pulling his deadened arm from beneath her he sat up, and slowly worked his arms to get some feeling back into them.

Smiling at his wife, who looked drowsy as well, he whispered, "Fall asleep in the chair?"

"Yes. Just woke up. It's almost eleven."

"What do you say we head to bed then?" Wordy brushed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sounds like a plan."

They entered their bedroom and both hurried through their pre-bed routines. Sliding into bed first, Wordy was asleep within minutes.

The cellphone on the charger beeped to indicate the call. Shelley heard it as she exited from the bathroom. Looking at her sleeping husband, she debated if she should wake him or not. She looked at the number and didn't recognize it as being from his teammates. She put on her pajamas, still weighing the issue of waking him.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike and Javier had shared the last of the cookies. Sam was still sleeping and at this point Spike felt that it would be better for his friend to continue resting.

Stoking the fire again, Spike thought about the morning. Surely a rescue effort would be mounted at first light, it might be a good idea to put Javier back into handcuffs.

Glancing at Javier, it appeared that the other man was already asleep. Perhaps it would be best to do it in the morning and allow him his freedom tonight. As Javier had mentioned, being rescued was in everyone's best interest. Until then, there was really nowhere for him to go to.

Moving back to his own seat, Spike closed his eyes and tried to not worry about his friend.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's notes: Sorry, but between directing a high school play and a community theater production, plus work, taxes and family...my life has been crazier than an old lady with a bag of cats. Everything will be done in May, but I'm hoping to keep typing in the few free moments I have. Don't fear, Team One will never let you down. Remember reviewing is good for the soul.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

As much as she hated to, Shelley reached out and placed a hand on Wordy's shoulder. "Honey, you have a message on your cell phone."

"What?" He tried to fight his way up from the sleep that had captured him.

"I just came up to bed and heard your cell phone make that chirping noise that it does when you have a message. I thought it might be important." She handed him the phone.

Wordy pushed himself up in the bed and hit the voice mail button. His features transformed in seconds from being sleepy into wide awake. He punched the button on his phone to cancel the voicemail option and then dialed another contact.

"Greg. This is Wordy. I hope I didn't wake you up, but I had a call from one of my friends working with gangs. I asked him to keep his ears open for any information on the Hierra operation. He heard that a group of men has been sent up north somewhere."

"What? So Hierra's mother said Javier had been found?" Wordy parroted back the words he had heard from Greg.

Listening to his boss for a moment, Wordy then continued. "I thought the same thing. There would have to be some way to track where they headed and where they end up." He paused and nodded his approval to the proposal that Greg had made. "Can do. I'll be in as soon as I can."

Hanging up, he looked at the worry etched on his wife's face.

"Is there something new about Sam and Spike?"

"A few new leads that sound promising. We are going to head in and start contacting air strips and looking at surveillance cameras trying to get a lead on where Hierra's men are headed. Where they are going is hopefully the area that Spike and Sam should be in."

Shelley hugged her husband. "I'll be praying."

"I know you will. Thanks." Wordy pulled her into a tight embrace. He could hear the tears in her voice as they began to fall.

"I just can't help but think what I would have done if it was you instead of one of them."

"It wasn't and you can't think about it. Just remember how much I love you and those little girls. I will always do everything in my power to come back to you each day."

"I know and I love you all the more for that." She pulled away and wiped at her eyes. "Now get going and bring our boys home."

"I will."

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

She had been lying on a blanket that they had spread on the grass overlooking the river. The light breeze ruffled through the trees creating a whispering song as the leaves fluttered against one another. The sun was warm and Sam was tracing the curves of her body with his finger.

"What are you doing?" Jules murmured. The warmth lulling her into a sleepy state.

"Just admiring your body. I love you so very much"

"Is that why you love me? I thought it was because of my keen mind."

"That too. Seriously, can't a guy enjoy the total package?"

"I guess."

"You know that I'm always going to be with you."

"That's good to know." Jules rolled to her side to face Sam. "Were you planning on going somewhere?"

"You just need to know that Jules. Whatever happens, I won't leave you."

"Stop it Sam," Jules' tone turned sharp. "I don't like it when you talk about things like that." The sun had disappeared behind a cloud, dropping the temperature.

"I know you don't but if I don't come back, I need you to be strong." Sam pushed himself up. "Remember how much I love you."

"Don't Sam, don't leave." Jules sobbed as all warmth left and was replaced by a cold wind. She reached out and only felt the fabric of his shirt as he pulled away from her.

Jules woke to find tears streaming down her face and her hand tightly clutching the sheet. Reaching for a tissue, she wiped her eyes. The dream had seemed so real.

She startled as the cell phone on the nightstand beeped with an incoming call. Reaching for it, she glanced at the display. Greg's face was smiling at her from the icon that announced who the caller was.

"Yeah boss." Her voice sounded husky after the tears. After several minutes of sitting quietly and listening to Greg, she thanked him and hung up.

Sliding out of bed, she quickly dressed and went outside to start her car. Shivering in the chilly night air, she breathed deeply, allowing herself to hope that this was coming to an end. Sliding behind the wheel, she started the car and put it into drive and headed for the station.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

They had started out before dawn and as the light was breaking, they had reached the GPS coordinates to the landing site. The three men on board with the pilot checked the guns they were carrying. Beforehand they had decided to leave one person behind with the pilot and helicopter as a precaution in case the police holding Javier attempted to take aircraft.

The two men that were going to search for the downed plane made sure their guns were hidden, but easily accessible. There would be no mistakes; messing up at this point in the game would be fatal. Mr. Hierra would not look favorably on those that did not bring his son back to him.

They had estimated it would take almost an hour to reach the crash site. With the snow on the ground and the dense woods, it would be slower going than they had hoped. The weather was shaping up to be clear, but there was a front line that would push through later that day and possibly bring snow along with it. With luck, they would be back in civilization before it hit.

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

It had been a rough night for Spike. He had only slept for short periods of time due to his concern for Sam. Each time Sam moved or cried out in his sleep, Spike was there to check on his friend. The knowledge that they had been spotted by a rescue plane help Spike remain calm during the long night. Sam's condition was degrading and even Javier had spoken of it.

Spike had pushed aside the comments from the felon and had informed Javier of Sam's determined nature and iron will that would see him through this. Javier had simply smiled and spread out his hands in a manner to suggest he meant nothing by it, but the smile had not reached his eyes. Those were still the flat, dead eyes of a predator and Spike was not dropping his guard.

After a while, he gave up on the idea of sleep and moved closer to the fire. The day before he had found a notebook in the cockpit and had spent time writing a letter to his parents, another to Greg and one to Winnie. If they weren't rescued, he wanted them to know that his last thoughts were of them. Now, Spike worked to write down everything that had happened because after their rescue he would need to fill out reports. When he had finished, he returned it to his bag and tried to find a comfortable position to catch a few winks.

When the sun had risen high enough for the interior of the plane to change from an inky darkness to a shadowy half-light, Spike ventured outside with Javier.

"I would think we would see someone by mid-day." Spike had looked at the burnt out remains of the emergency fire. "I don't think we need to worry about another fire. They would have marked our position with gps."

"I suppose you are going to chain me up like an animal again."

"Not until the rescue party gets us to a plane. Sorry Javier, but things haven't changed just because you've been in a plane crash. It's not like this has become a get out of jail free card."

"No, I guess not. However I hope that my willingness to help might be worth a year or two off of my sentence."

"I'll make sure to put everything into my report. If the courts want to look at that, it will be up to them." With that, Spike headed over to the plane with some wood to build up the fire inside.

Javier smiled coldly and spoke softly to himself, "I'll make sure to put everything in my report as well."

Spike worked quickly breaking down sticks to feed into the low burning fire. The interior of the plane was still except for the snapping of the sticks.

Outside Javier saw two men approaching through the woods. As they neared, he could make out the facial features of the two and a smile crossed his face. He raised his hand in a wave of recognition. The taller man waved and shouted back, "Javier, gracias a Dios nos hemos encontrado!"

Javier nodded and turned towards the plane, "Constable Scarlatti, they are here!"

Spike hurried from the plan and moved towards the two rescuers, "Hi, I'm Constable Scarlatti, did you bring a medic? My partner is injured."

The two men responded by bringing the guns out and pointed them at Spike. From behind him, Spike could hear a gun's slide racking. He turned and found himself looking at Sam's Glock 17 being held by Javier.

"Sorry Constable, it would appear that my friends work faster than yours." Javier moved forward and pulled Spike's gun from its holster. He then passed it over to one of the men.

"I guess drug running and human trafficking must have some perks after all."

"Oh, there's that humor I've grown to love so much." Javier smiled at Spike. "I am very important to my father and our family's money can make anything happen. Even if the pilot messed up our original plan, here I am, a free man."

"You're not free yet."

"Oh perdón, you are correct. I still have two lose ends here to deal with."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The group had worked into the early morning and they were starting to feel as if they were finally making headway. Winnie and Jules had managed to track some of Hierra's known associates to Fort Hope. It seemed that the local airport had suddenly become a very popular place lately.

Greg had been in contact with Deputy Chief Holleran. The man had been sympathetic, but until more was known even his hands were tied. Greg had then asked if he could request intra-agency coperation from another source. Holleran agreed and Greg's next call had been to General Braddock.

It took only a minute and Greg had received approval for transportation for the team to the small town that was on the edge of Eabamet Lake. Team One moved quickly and within an hour, they had hit the tarmac of the airport, where a military plane had landed and was waiting to take them to Fort Hope.

The team strapped in and with Greg's suggestion, they all attempted to get some additional sleep. They were hoping to arrive by mid-morning. From there they hoped to narrow down their search and then find their friends.

Jules closed her eyes and a small smile formed on her face as she felt herself getting closer to Sam. She soon joined the rest of the team in sleeping.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"So you're going to shoot me and Sam?" Spike's voice was sharp, but without fear.

"I could." Javier appeared to think about it for a moment. "But, I have been thinking about killing you and your friend ever since you chained me into the plane. Now, the time has come and I am so overwhelmed with my choices. I could simply shoot you, but that is too impersonal and I feel that we've become so close in our time together. Then there was the idea that I could feed you to the wolves, but ever since Constable Braddock killed the one, we haven't seen any."

"Or maybe you are just going to talk me to death." Spike comment. "If you are trying to intimidate me, it isn't working."

"How much do you know about me Constable?" Javier smiled.

"Not a lot, once I got to the part about little girls I was so sick to my stomach I couldn't read any more."

"I spend considerable time boxing. In fact, I had even hoped to become good enough to become a professional." Javier smiled and handed his gun over to one of his men. "I find guns to be so impersonal, but beating a man to death, that makes it feel real; personal. It is going to give me such pleasure to make you hurt."

"So, is this going to be using London Prize Ring rules or Queensberry Rules?"

"Oh, I see you are knowledgeable about fighting."

"I was a geeky kid, of course I know about fighting." Spike looked at Javier, sizing up his opponent.

"I think we'll be dispensing with rules for this match."

"I was hoping you would say that." Spike reached down and grabbed a branch that was lying next to him. He brought it up and into Javier's legs, sweeping the man off of his feet. Spike dived onto the fallen man and began to wrestle with him, hoping to get the criminal into a headlock.

Javier twisted his body, working to throw Spike off. He brought his arm up and in a wild swing, connected with Spike's head. Taking advantage of the momentary relaxation of Spike's arms, Javier slipped out and pushed up to his feet.

"I applaud that move, very good, I will not underestimate you again." Javier then moved in closer and threw a combination of punches.

Spike blocked several of the swings, but ending up with a solid hit to his mid-section. He reached out with his hands and pushed Javier away from him. Spike blew out rapidly trying to work through the pain of the hit. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to best the man in a fair fight, he began to think of his plan to beat him using every dirty trick he could.

"Javier," One of the men spoke. "nosotros no debemos retrasar."

"Yes, I know we must hurry. But I want him to hurt before he dies."

Spike watched as Javier's eyes moved towards the man he was speaking to and rushed closer to the criminal. Instead of throwing a punch, he instead aimed his foot towards the other man's knee cap. The training he had honed during his time as an officer served him well and he was rewarded with a painful howl from Javier.

Immediately Spike turned his attention to the closest man. The thug to the right was nearest, so Spike propelled himself into the man, hoping that he might be able to wrestle the gun from him.

For a moment it seemed that Spike might have the upper-hand against his opponent. But the third man, upon seeing the other two taken down, moved to intervene. As Spike wrestled with the gunman, the other man moved behind Spike and slammed his gun into the back to Spike's head.

Dazed, Spike was pushed onto his back by the man that he had previously being fighting with. "De puta!" The man scrambled to his feet and placed a well-aimed kick at Spike's midsection.

"No, lo dejan a mí." Javier spoke as he hobbled over to where Spike lay prone upon the ground. "I said he was mine and I am going to enjoy this even more." Motioning to Spike, "Get him on his feet."

The two men picked Spike up as the young man tried to clear his head after the blow he had received. "Three against one." Spike's voice was wavering slightly. "Not really fair fight."

"Life isn't fair." Javier lashed out and Spike's body tried to curl inward against the punches. Javier's fists struck again and again. Blood poured from Spike's nose and mouth after repeated hits. The blood seemed to ignite an increased rage in Javier as he continued his assault. The two men continued to support the Spike when his legs would no longer hold him.

Javier took one final hit, rocking into Spike's ribs so hard that several cracked under the pressure. Nodding at the two, they let Spike fall to the group. Poking him with a boot, the one henchman laughed and spit upon the unresponsive body before him.

"Let's go," Javier had cooled slightly and with his knee hurting, he was ready to leave this and return to civilization.

"The other loose end?" One of the gunmen asked.

"Not a worry, by the time anyone thinks to look here for these two, nature will have already run its course."

The three men moved off in the direction of the waiting helicopter. The crash site was silent as two men, one in the snow and another inside the plane, were slowly losing their fight to hold onto to life.

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

Greg and his team had disembarked for the military aircraft that had flown them to Fort Hope. Once inside the small airport, they began to set up shop. The hope was that they would be able to tap into the communication that had transpired between the influx of aircraft.

It was just after eleven in the morning when Jules motioned to the others that she had something. "I've just picked up a communication from a helicopter that they will be heading into the airport in approximately fifteen minutes. According to the flight director, this is one of the new crews that were flying out of here the last two days."

"Alright team. Let's get ready to welcome them. Remember, we need to have them talking."

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

Sam fought to open his eyes, but even when he did; it was too dark in the cave to see. No, not a cave, a plane. "It must be night again." He though. "Spike!" He yelled loudly as he could. "Spike!" A sharp pain in his head forced him to be quiet as he curled up and tried to wait for the pain to subside.

Outside, Spike laid where he had been discarded by Javier's men; his blood staining the snow that had been flattened beneath him.

Author's note: But will Team One be rescuing or recovering?


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's notes: Thanks for sticking with me and being understanding. Finished directing two shows and then I was knee deep in several catering jobs, plus we are at the end of the school year with only five class days to go!_

_Hope this makes up for it..._

**_Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint_**

_It was just after eleven in the morning when Jules motioned to the others that she had something. "I've just picked up a communication from a helicopter that they will be heading into the airport in approximately fifteen minutes. According to the flight director, this is one of the new crews that were flying out of here the last two days."_

_"Alright team. Let's get ready to welcome them. Remember, we need to have them talking."_

Ed and Lew grabbed their gear and headed out to position themselves near the helicopter landing pad. They were now wearing the coveralls of one of the local air companies. By blending in they would be able to hopefully get closer to the group flying into the airport.

Wordy had met up with the local constabulary and they were part of a four car group spread out close to the airport's entrance. The plan wasn't to allow Hierra to get anywhere near the entrance, but they were in position; just in case. Wordy and the local Sergeant were inside a smaller hanger. The open door gave them a perfect view of the spot where the copter would land.

Greg and Jules were in the small tower that normally housed a part time controller. From their elevated vantage point, they could get eyes on the situation first. Once the copter had landed and shut down, Jules was going to set up quickly to provide for some long-range protection.

"We are seeing the copter approaching from the South-East." Greg relayed the information to the team. "Remember, we need someone who can talk."

"The copter might have GPS data on it." Wordy reminded his boss.

"True, but we don't know if the pilot is working for Hierra or is just unfortunate in his decision to hire out. If he is working for Hierra, he might have dumped the GPS already."

A small mark in the distance increased in size as it moved closer to the airport. Jules felt as if she were going to burst waiting for it to reach the airport and set down. Once the aircraft was down and powered down, she slide out the door and readied her rifle.

"I've got people exiting the chopper." Ed's voice filled everyone's ear. "I've got two guys, don't recognize either one. Wait a minute, there are two more." His voice took on a slightly higher pitch, "The one limping is Javier."

"No sign of Spike or Sam?" Greg was hopeful.

"No."

"Alright, let them get by Ed and Lew and I'll talk to them."

Everyone held tight as the men started making their way to a near-by hangar where a car waited. Javier had a definite limp and looked disheveled. Once they had passed the plane Ed and Lew were pretending to work on, both men moved for their tactical rifles.

"Javier, this is Greg Parker from the Toronto Strategic Response Unit. Put down your weapons and put your hands behind you head."

Instantly the four men on the ground pulled out their weapons and started to hurry to the waiting vehicle. Wordy and his local partner drove out of the hanger towards the other vehicle, cutting off the escape path.

The men changed directions, looking to head back to the copter, but Ed and Lew were now behind them.

"Don't even think about it." Ed growled as his gun targeted the lead man.

Hierra had a gun drawn and was rapidly looking around for a possible bolt hole, but the members of the SRU had planned well; there was nowhere to go. He laid the gun on the ground, raised his hand and motioned to the others to follow suit.

Converging on the criminals, Ed instantly recognized the Glocks carried by his men. Securing the men, he pulled Hierra to the side. "Where are my teammates?"

"Lo lamento, pero no habla inglés muy bien." Hierra gave an embarrassed-looking smile as he shrugged.

"Cut the bullshit. I know you can speak English just fine."

"I was in a terrible plane crash and these men have found me. I don't remember anything else."

Ed grabbed Javier's arm and let his grip tighten upon it. "I swear if anything has happened to my men, I will personally help put you behind bars for the rest of your life."

Wordy had hurried to the copter after the men had been restrained. With his gun drawn, he approached the pilot who was watching the events unfolding in front of him. Opening the door to the cockpit, Wordy shouted to the man to put his hands up and climb down from the aircraft. "Where is your GPS?"

"It's a handheld."

"I need your last trip coordinates."

"The gentleman over there already cleared the memory."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The pain was indescribable and he immediately thought about retreating to another place; one without pain or cold. His face was burning on one side, but yet on the other side it felt strangely numb. He contemplated why this might be, but no answers were forth coming.

It hurt to breath, so he took small inhalations; hoping to quiet the roaring pain. The darkness surrounding him diminished as he tried to open his eyes. Only one would open and the one that did would only open a mere slit.

He thought about trying to lift his head to gain a better view, but the slightest movement caused his entire body to rebel in pain; "head remains on ground". With that decision made, he went to work on trying to remember what the hell was going on.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"Hierra deleted the GPS coordinates!" Wordy exploded into his radio.

"Easy Wordy." Greg smoothed. "I'll be right down to talk to the pilot. Just keep him away from Hierra."

"Copy Boss."

Jules had secured her weapon and followed Greg across the tarmac to the helicopter. They hadn't come all this way to hit another brick wall. An ambulance had arrived and a handcuffed Javier was being led to the vehicle.

"They should let him wait until we have Sam and Spike." Jules' tone was bitter.

"We're the good guys Jules. Even, when we don't want to be, we need to be above it." Greg reminded her gently.

"He's doing everything he can to keep us from finding them."

"He thinks he is, but it won't be enough. We will bring them home." Greg's tone was hopeful.

Wordy was standing outside the door of the cockpit, watching the pilot. "Boss, it would seem that our pilot here was hired yesterday by one of the gentlemen that were with Hierra."

"Good." Greg held out his hand to the pilot. "I'm Greg Parker with the Toronto SRU. We are trying to find two of our men that were transporting Mr. Hierra. I understand that you only recently came into Mr. Hierra's employment. I know that you've said the GPS was erased, but I'm thinking that a local like you would be able to find your way back to where you landed."

The pilot's face was white and as he spoke, his voice shook. "I can't tell you anything. It was made very clear on the way back that I was to remember nothing." He looked at Greg pleadingly. "I've got a family."

"Sir, I can guarantee you and your family whatever means it takes to keep safe. If you don't help us and my men die, you will be facing life in prison as an accomplice. Who will keep them safe if you are behind bars?"

"What assurances do I have?"

"My word."

"Excuse me if I don't find that to be enough for me to bet the lives of my family on." The pilot shot back.

"What assurances did Hierra give you? Are you ready to bet your family's lives on the word of a thief, murderer and rapist?"

The pilot hung his head, tears streamed from his eyes. "Can you get the police to my family right away? Get my family in custody and I'll fly you back."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The cold had spread to the rest of him. It was uncomfortable and he knew that if he stayed there much longer he might not be able to move later. As bad as he hurt, he needed to get up from the ground and find someplace warm.

He moved his hands inward, noticing the blood that had congealed on his hands; knuckles split and swollen. His arm and shoulder hurt; tingling sensations gave way to outright pain. Crying out slightly Spike continued his efforts to get himself off of the ground. Moving his arms beneath him, he pushed up and lifted his upper body from the ground. The lightning bolts of pain again shot through his body, he heard himself cry out in pain. His vision narrowed and he felt himself on the verge of passing out. He rocked back onto his knees and wrapped the arm that wasn't on fire around his torso, trying to hold the pain back. From the corner of his good eye, he caught sight of an airplane. Suddenly memories came pouring back and he remembered where he was and what he was doing.

"Sam!" It was meant to be loud enough to bring his friend to his aid. Instead, it came out as a tortured sob. Spike knew he had to get himself to safety and at the same time, he needed to check on his friend's condition.

Keeping his right arm wrapped tightly around his midsection, he put his left arm out to stabilize him as he lurched to his feet. He could feel his limited vision blurring as he slowly made his way towards the plane's fractured cockpit. Once he reached the opening he grabbed onto the plane and gave himself a minute to let his head catch up with his feet.

Spike opened his eye and could see Sam lying reclined in the seat. "Sam."

There was no response from his friend, so Spike moved closer and reached down to check on Sam's breathing. Spike could feel the shallow respirations and when he tried to wake his friend, the other man would not respond.

Tucking the blankets that covered the unconscious man tighter around him, Spike stumbled back to the opening and looked at the fire. Only a few coals still glowed in the make-shift fire bowl. Reaching for the wood that was still stacked inside the plane, Spike knew he would need to coax the flame back to life. As gently as possible he knelt down next to the fire and started to break the sticks into smaller pieces. Layering them around the coals, he gently blew on the coals to ignite the sticks. The movement caused his split lips to begin bleeding again; small drops falling onto the sticks below.

The flame flared weakly and the sticks began to smoke. Soon the sticks caught and a small blaze crackled away. Adding larger sticks to it, Spike was pleased to see that the fire was taking off so well.

The adrenaline that had helped him keep moving despite his injuries had been depleted and he was feeling weak. Moving to sit in the seat across the aisle, Spike lowered himself painfully into it. Vowing to close his eyes for just a moment, he quickly slid into a place between sleep and unconsciousness.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The local authorities had moved quickly to secure not only the men who were working for Hierra, but also the helicopter pilot's family. While this was taking place, Team One was waiting for a larger helicopter to arrive along with a search and rescue team.

The pilot had told Greg that he could easily return them to the spot where they had landed, but he had no idea about the exact location of the men or their condition.

"The injured man appeared to be in charge and he was in a good mood. They spoke Spanish the entire time and the only think I know in Spanish is cerveza."

The team was anxious, the fact that Javier wouldn't tell them anything, they were unsure whether this would be a rescue or a recovery. Jules had set her face into an unreadable mask and the others assumed she was just feeling the same frustration that they were facing.

It was almost two hours before the search and rescue copter landed. By then, the tension was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. The leader of the rescue group met with Greg and dropped a bombshell; they could only take two members from the team.

"What!" Ed replied angrily. "So the rest of the team has to stay behind?"

Greg tried to sooth his team leader. "Eddie, the copter can only carry so much weight. We should have thought about that ourselves, but I'm guessing that we've all been so keyed up we didn't think about it."

Wordy broke in, "So how are we deciding who gets to go? Spike is Lew's friend, does that mean Lew goes?"

"Fighting about this isn't going to get our guys back any faster." Greg reminded them. "I know we all want to go, but I'm going to just make the decision. I'm going and Jules is going. She's lighter and she has additional medical training above what the rest of us have. She can lend a hand to the rescue crew if needed."

"You're right boss." Ed's temper had cooled. "Get going and as soon as you know what the guy's status is, radio it in."

Clapping a hand on Ed's shoulder, Greg smiled tightly. "Will do. Jules, let's go."

Greg and Jules hurried to the copter and climbed aboard. Minutes later, it lifted off and made its way towards the south.

"I hope they make it in time." Wordy spoke softly.

"Spike won't give up." Lew nodded seriously. "He's too Italian to give up to easily."

Ed laughed lightly, "That he is. Plus Sam is plenty stubborn as well. Hell, if he didn't give up on that first day when we sent him on a Timmy's run, this won't faze him."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike tried to open his eyes as he heard noises around him. The one that was not swollen completely shut only opened to about half mast. Turning towards the noise he could see Sam flailing in his seat. The jerkiness of the motions told Spike that it was some form of seizure. Sam's body slide part way off the seat, put the seat's arm rest prevented him from hitting the floor.

"Sam!" Again what was intended to be a shout came out as more of a restrained whisper as the pain of moving struck at that moment. Grabbing his ribs, Spike slid off the seat and knelt by his friend.

The seizure seemed to run its course, and Sam's breathing was again very shallow and slightly irregular. Spike repositioned Sam the best he could and made sure that the other man's airway was open. Laying the blanket back over his friend, he decided that by lying down next to Sam, he could monitor his breathing and be alerted to a new seizure. Spike moved carefully to bring himself next to Sam and then pulled the blanket over the two of them. He laid his head down next to Sam's. "I'm here for you buddy."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The flight didn't take as long as it felt for Jules. With a set of headphones on she could hear the chatter between the pilot and the pilot of the rescue team. With the assurance that his family was safe, the pilot was attempting to be as helpful as possible. He had even mentioned seeing a total of two men when they did a flyover the day before.

Of course there was no way of knowing which constable it had been and now there was the concern over how Hierra had left the two. A quick flyover today did not show anyone out at the crash site and the mood in the aircraft became very somber.

It appeared that they would be hiking in from a mile or so out. Fortunately the men who had rescued Hierra had broken the trail to the crash site. That would help speed their journey.

Jules could feel the descent of the copter and looked out to see the ground coming up to meet them. Once down, the group would move out quickly, following the trail left behind.

"Are you up for this Jules?" Greg asked her as the whine of the motor ceased.

"Yeah Boss." She unstrapped and stood, waiting for the door to open.

The leader of the rescue group had his men grab two of the collapsible rescue litters and they all shouldered their packs and began to follow the trail ahead of them. Jules and Greg brought up the rear and Jules knew each step was one step closer to finding Sam.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Ed had contacted headquarters back in Toronto and informed them about the recapture of Javier Hierra. He also called to the barn and brought everyone up to date with what was happening.

Donna Sabine, leader of team three, had taken the call and when she had finished speaking to Ed she called the rest of the team over to fill them in.

"I just spoke with Ed. They made it to Fort Hope and were able to locate the crash site. Some of Hierra's men had already been there and rescued him. Team One apprehended them at the airport and now Greg is accompanying the rescue team to bring in Sam and Spike."

"What's the status on them?" One of the men asked.

"Not sure at this time. The rescue team did a flyover and no one was visible." Donna's voice was grim.

"I don't want to say it, but that doesn't sound good." Another team member added. "Hierra wouldn't leave loose ends."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike felt Sam beginning to seize again. Moving as gently as he could, he attempted to keep Sam from striking his head against anything. As quickly as it came, the seizure ended. Spike moved to check Sam's breathing. He couldn't see Sam's chest moving and when he laid his hand upon Sam's mouth, there was no reassuring feel.

"Damn it Sam! Do not do this to me. You will not leave me." Spike moved quickly, new adrenaline flooding through his veins. He covered Sam's mouth with his and exhaled. He waited for four beats and gave another. He checked for a pulse and was pleased that his friend's heart continued to work. "Come on now Sam, breath for me."

Spike continued giving breathes for his partner and when he stopped to check again, he could see that Sam had begun breathing on his own. Spike knew that he would need to keep a close eye on the other man. It would be too easy for him to stop breathing again and without Spike to provide rescue breathing, Sam would die.

Turning his face so that his good eye would be on Sam, Spike tried to find a comfortable position. He reached out and grasped Sam's hand. "You and me buddy. You and me."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

They were getting very close to the crash site, but with each step Jules felt more and more dread. Had Spike or Sam been able to, they would have made themselves visible with the flyover. They hadn't and that didn't bode well for their wellbeing. She told herself to think positive, but tears had started to prickle behind her eyes and she worried that they might soon give way.

The path opened up into a small clearing that had been made larger by the plane crashing into the trees. They could see where a fire had been set, the branches that hadn't burned totally were still smoldering slightly. No one was visible around the plane's fuselage.

"Spike! Sam!" Greg called out loudly, hoping that if the men were taking refuge in the plane that they would not be startled by the appearance of the group. A hoarse cry came from inside the plane and Greg hurried to the gap that had been opened between the cockpit and the rear.

As he squeezed into the plane, he could make out two men. "Spike!" He was alarmed when he saw the swollen and bruised face of his young officer. Moving inward, he was aware of others filling the gap in behind him.

"Boss." Spike's voice was heavy with emotion. "Sam's bad. He's got a head injury and he's been seizing. He stopped breathing a while ago, but I got him back." The words tumbled from his lips, the movement making them bleed again.

"It's alright Spike. We've got medics with us." He looked down at Sam, who appeared to be sleeping, but Spike's information told him otherwise. "Can you walk Spike?"

"If you help me up."

Greg reached out and took the trembling hand that Spike had had reached out. Giving a gently tug, Spike rose unsteadily to his feet with a groan of pain.

"Let's go outside and have them take a look at you. We'll get Sam back as fast as possible."

In the meantime, Jules had slid around the two men and was kneeling next to Sam. Running her hand across his face, she spoke quietly to him. "I'm here Sam. I need you to be strong and hang on for me."

Two of the rescue crew had made their way in and were now working on accessing Sam's injuries. The one spoke gently to Jules. "Ma'am, I'm going to need you to move outside so we can get him into the basket. It's going to be in his best interest to be in a hospital as soon as possible."

"Sam, don't you dare give up. Do you hear me? I love you and I want you with me." She kissed his forehead and moved out of the plane.

Outside she could see Spike slumped back on the ground. A blanket was around his shoulders and the other member of the rescue crew was checking him out. She was shocked by the damage that had been inflicted to Spike's face. Jules moved close to Greg and whispered, "He looks terrible. Was he not wearing a seat-belt?"

"He said Javier did it. He was forced to fight him. Obviously Javier thought that he had done enough damage that by the time anyone found them, nature would have taken its course."

"Bastard!"

"I agree. I'll take great pleasure in knowing that he will never be free again."

A crashing noise caused them to look over at the plane. The men inside had forced the door open and were now exiting it with Sam strapped to a backboard.

"We are going to want to get him aboard asap. If we had more room in this clearing we would use a winch and basket to get him aboard immediately, but as it is, there isn't room. We are going to double time it back with him so that we can load and go. Can your guy keep up?"

"No, radio for a second copter and we'll take it slow and easy out of here." The other medic spoke. "I'm not done checking, but at minimum he's got broken ribs and a slightly separated shoulder. I'm still looking him over."

"Jules, you go with Sam and I'll hang back and give Spike a hand." Greg nodded to Jules.

"Are you sure Boss?"

"Yes, the sooner you get Sam on the copter, the sooner a second one can come for us."

"Alright, I'll see you back in Fort Hope."

The three men watched as the two rescue crew members hoisted the backboard and began the trek back to the copter, Jules following in their wake.

"He's going to be ok isn't he Boss?" Spike was trying to keep the pain at bay as the medic poked and prodded him.

"I sure hope so Spike." Greg reassured the younger man and to himself he thought, "because I don't know what Jules would do without him."

Author's note: Not out of the woods yet (sorry for the pun!) Almost there!


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: Hate me. It's alright because I hate myself. I really needed to have this up a whole lot sooner, but I couldn't find my spark to write. I love these characters too much to just toss something down and call it good, so I waited. (Hope you consider this decent enough writing…If not? So be it) Plus I misplaced the damn thumb drive - I know I need to save it in another place too.

I'm thinking two more chapters should have it done. Thanks for hanging in there!

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The two men carrying the stretcher that contained Sam were moving at the fastest pace they could. Before leaving the crash site they had immobilized his neck and started him on an I.V. and oxygen. With his stats looking as good as expected, they wanted to get him loaded into the helicopter as quickly as they could.

Jules followed along behind, she was carrying Sam's personal backpack. She had found it sitting next to his seat and since she didn't have anything to carry, she had decided to bring it along. Besides, she had told herself, he would want the contents back once he was out of the hospital.

The group made it into the clearing where the helicopter was waiting. The pilot jumped down and slid the side door open to allow the men access to load the stretcher. Once inside, the medics started working to secure the man.

"Get strapped in, we will be in the air in five minutes."

Jules moved to her seat and put her headset back on. "When will the other copter get here for the others?"

"The other copter had to go out on an emergency call; child with an allergic reaction to something. We'll get you dropped at the hospital and I'll refuel. I should be back within ninety minutes, two tops." The pilot informed her. "

The aircraft rose from the ground and began the trip back. Jules looked at her boyfriend and sent him a silent plea, "Hold on Sam, I'm here and I love you."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Greg watched as the medic looked over Spike. He had so many emotions swirling around in him; anger, relief and concern. The damage to Spike's face spoke of the vicious beating he had received at the hands of Javier.

"I think I've got you ready to move." The medic told Spike. "If we go slow do you think you can walk?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be any trouble."

"Spike, it's not a question of your being trouble. Are you up to it? Because if not, I'm prepared to strap you to my back and carry you." Greg's tone was serious.

"Copy boss. I'm alright. A little dizzy." Spike shook his head slightly. "Please don't tell Ed I admitted to that."

"Secret is safe with me buddy."

The medic and Greg both reached down and helped Spike up to his feet. A sharp intake of air was the only indication of the pain the man was feeling.

"Spike, are you alright?" The medic inquired.

"Ribs."

"Let's get them wrapped. Greg, help me move him over here and I'll bind them up." The medic indicated the wing that was at a perfect level to sit the injured man on.

Opening the Spike's jacket and pulling his shirt up, the medic whistled low, "I don't think I've seen colors like this since a paint truck hit a moose."

"Don't make me laugh." Spike hissed as the man began wrapping an ace bandage around his torso. "It is really hard to breath."

"I can imagine. Let me feel your abdomen again." The medic frowned slightly. "I didn't feel anything but, I don't like this bruising on your sides. Let's get back to the clearing. They should be sending the second copter to pick us up." He glanced at Greg and gave a quick head nod in the direction of the plane. "Greg, can you give me a hand? I think we left some equipment inside. We'll be right out Spike."

Greg followed the medic into the plane. He knew that there was no equipment inside that needed retrieval. "What's wrong?"

"Spike might be bleeding internally. That bruising on his side might be caused by a slow bleed from somewhere."

"From where?"

"I can't be sure, but in looking at the amount of damage to his body it wouldn't surprise me if it's his liver or spleen. Upper body trauma."

"Is he going to be alright to walk?"

"I think that the faster we get back to the landing site, the better it will be. We will definitely make better time with him walking. If we need to, we can carry him. I think he will be the best judge of that."

Greg's face was grim as he reviewed the situation. "I suppose you are right. Let's get moving. I want him on a copter and out as quickly as possible."

"Agreed."

The men walked out of the plane and over to where they had left Spike. The injured man was sitting quietly, eyes closed and his free arm was protecting his ribs.

"You ready to get out of here Spike?" Greg put a cheerful tone into his voice.

"I don't know, I made some nice personal touches here and it has been growing on me."

"Spike, if you've got energy to joke, you've got energy to walk. Let's get going." Greg teased the younger man.

Spike rose from the plane wing and the three men made their way back towards the landing site.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The helicopter went immediately to the regional hospital that was located in Fort Hope. As soon as they landed, the emergency room crew rushed out to off-load the injured man. Jules untangled herself from the seatbelt and headphones and followed behind.

Once inside, a nurse stopped Jules. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you into the treatment room."

"But he's my…" Jules stopped short. What role was she currently acting on? "He's my boyfriend."

"I understand, but the doctors need room to work. Let's go over and I'll get some information from you. I promise, as soon as they know something I will pass it along to you."

Jules glanced back in the direction that they had taken Sam. "Alright."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Donna hung up the phone and looked at the members of her team, their faces etched with the worry over their missing colleagues. She smiled lightly at Winnie Camden. Donna knew that Winnie had been at the station almost around the clock and the stress and lack of sleep were beginning to take their toll. Silent tears trickled down Winnie's face as she waited for the update.

"They have found Sam and Spike."

Everyone held their breath as they waited to hear the condition in which the men had been found.

"Sam has been flown into the hospital, according to Ed; Sam has a very serious head injury."

Winnie wanted to shout out, "What about Spike!" But she stayed quiet, knowing that Donna would tell them everything she knew.

"Spike was also injured, but they felt that he was stable enough to allow them to get Sam out fast. The rescue team is going right back for them."

Turning shakily, Winnie walked over to the nearest chair and sat down slowly. The tears of worry had now been replaced with tears of gratitude. She put her head in her hands and let them flow.

Donna walked over and placed a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. "They are going to be fine. Winnie, you've been here for long enough. I'm going to have one of the guys drive you home."

"I'm fine." Winnie looked up at the leader of team three.

"You're tired and this has been a real emotional case for you. I wouldn't want something happening to you on the way home."

"Thanks. I'll go grab my bag."

"No problem. Jeff," Donna called over to one of the members of team three. "I want you to run Winnie home."

"Sure thing Boss."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Jules was sitting in the waiting room when Ed, Wordy and Lou came in. "He's in surgery right now."

"What did the doctor say?" Ed crossed the room to sit next to her.

"There was a head injury that was causing a buildup of pressure. They are going to but in a catheter to drain some of the fluid off."

"Did they think that he's going to be alright?" Wordy inquired.

"The doctor wouldn't give me any percentages, but I'm really worried. If we were back home, there would be a team of surgeons that could do this. Up here I'm sure that this doctor doesn't see this type of injury very often."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Replied Ed. "It's rough country around here and I'm sure there are more injuries than we would imagine."

"Besides Jules," Lou sat on the other side of his friend. "Think how often you've told Sam that his skull is too thick. This will be the time when it's a good thing."

"Has someone called his parents?" Jules suddenly struck by the realization that others were waiting to hear about the status of the injured officer.

"Already taken care of." Wordy reassured her. "Ed also called back to the barn and let the others know that we found them."

"How soon until the copter gets back with Spike?" Jules asked.

"They were going to refuel and fly out again. They thought it would be at least an hour or so before they would be back." Ed answered and looked at his watch. "Hopefully they should be on their way back already to pick up Spike."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The rescue medic could see that the young man's strength was beginning to wane; the pace they had set at the onset of the walk back to the landing area had continued to slow. It would be another half mile before they would reach the clearing where the helicopter had sat down. He hadn't heard the sound of aircraft returning and that was also a concern. If Spike was bleeding internally it would be imperative to get him to the hospital as soon as possible.

"Need a break."

The ragged breath of the injured man was loud in the quiet of the woods. The older man had moved up to help provide support as they walked back along the path they had broken on the way in.

"Sure Spike." Greg braced himself to help support his friend. "You just let me know when you think you are ready to start again."

Spike was quiet, save for the harsh sounds of his respiration's.

"Are you doing alright buddy?" Greg knew that the young man would keep going until he dropped.

Nodding slightly, Spike took a deep breath that caused a look of pain to flash across his face. "Just have a catch in my side."

The medic glanced at his watch to see how long it had been since they had started their walk. "We've been going pretty hard for the last forty minutes. If you think you can make it for another ten we should be close to the place where they will pick us up."

"I'm good. Let's go." Spike wasn't able to mask the pain that filled his voice.

"Are you sure?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, once I sit down I'm not getting back up."

"Sure thing. Let's go then." Greg started forward with the younger man leaning heavily upon him.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"What kind of hold up?" Ed barked into the phone. "No, I understand, but how long do you think it will be?" The scowl on his face deepened. "Alright, call me as soon as they are in the air."

He turned back towards the waiting room and looked at the curious faces meeting his. A call from the local constabulary had informed him that the helicopter had returned to the airport to refuel; however once it had fueled a warning light had indicated that there might be a mechanical problem. The second aircraft was in the process of returning, but was still far enough out that it was going to be a while before they could count on using it.

"What was that all about Ed?" Wordy could tell from his leader's face that something bad had happened.

"The helicopter can't go get Boss and Spike yet."

"What!" Lou was up on his feet in an instant. "Jules said that Spike was injured too."

Holding up his hands to indicate they should calm down, Ed continued. "I understand the concern, hell I'm worried too. They are going to get them as soon as they can safely. It won't do any good for the copter to go down while trying to rescue them."

"Spike was so beat up." Jules spoke with a shaky voice. "But, he didn't seem to have any injury that seemed life threatening. They wouldn't have left him if he did."

"That's right." Ed reassured the others. "Besides the Boss is with him and another medic. They'll be here before we know it."

Lou sat down and picked up the magazine he had been blindly flipping through. "I hope you're right."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

They had arrived at the landing site not a moment too soon. Spike had reached the end of his endurance. The medic shook out an emergency blanket and set it on the ground to help protect Spike from the cold ground. Greg helped his friend lower himself down.

"Let's get you comfortable." Greg fussed with the blanket, anxious to do something that might bring his friend a measure of relief.

"Bed would be good." Spike gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Remember that when you are clamoring for your discharge papers." Greg placed a reassuring hand on Spike's shoulder and then stood. Seeing the medic standing looking at the empty sky, Greg walked over to join him. "I would have thought they would be back by now."

"Should be, but there are a million things that could have held them up."

"Spike seems to be doing alright for now."

"He is, but I'm really worried that he might still be bleeding internally. We will need to keep an eye out for shock. Keeping him warm will be the biggest problem right now. Walking kept him warm, but now sitting out here he will start cooling down."

"Could we start a fire?"

"Finding dry, dead wood would be a real chore with the snow that's already on the ground. I think if we don't see the copter coming back in the next half hour, then we start thinking about what to do next."

"I'll start working on the wood. I'd rather be prepared and not need it."

"Agreed. I'll head back into the woods a ways. I thought I saw some on our way out." The medic stopped to check on Spike before he left. "How are you feeling?"

"Lots of pain in my lower back and side." Spike admitted.

"Hold tight. They should be back real soon." The medic looked to the sky again and thought to himself, "I hope."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"Jeff?" Winnie inquired from the passenger seat of the black suv. "Would you drop me off at Spike's parents instead?"

"Sure, what's the address?"

Winnie gave the address and sat back to mindlessly watch the scenery pass. She had called the older couple after Donna's announcement. They had already received a call from the department about their son being found, but Winnie could hear the anxiety in the woman's voice.

Pulling up outside an older two story home, Winnie pulled her bag out of the back and thanked Jeff for the ride. She then shouldered the bag and headed for the door. She had no sooner knocked on the door when Mrs. Scarlatti opened the door.

"Winnie! Thank you for coming over. I told Dominic that you were coming to sit with us." She pushed the door open and the aroma of zesty cooking filled the air. "I made a little something for us to eat. You are so thin, you haven't been eating."

Entering the house, Winnie sat her bag down and waited for the opportunity to get a word in. Spike's mother was always talkative and now with her worries about her son, she chattered on without seeming to pause to breath.

"Plus I thought there would be left overs so when Michelangelo gets home there will be something for him to eat." She moved Winnie further into the house, to the living room. Dominic Scarlatti stood as the women entered.

"Hello Winnie."

"Mr. Scarlatti."

"No, just Dominic." He waged a finger at her. "No need to make me feel older than I do already."

"Sorry." Winnie sat down on the couch, knowing that he would stand until she did. "Have you heard any more?"

"No." Dominic's tone was angry. "The department said that the boys were found and they were alive, but nothing more. Not even when our Michelangelo will be coming home."

"Grazie a Dio egli è sicuro." Mrs. Scarlatti crossed herself as she gave thanks to God. "Michelangelo's job is so dangerous, but we never thought that it would be something like this."

"Ah," Dominic waved his hand in a disgusted manner. "He takes too many risks. He should work in a laboratory like his brother. Benito has offered to find Michelangelo a job, but does he take his brother up on this gracious offer. No, he says he likes protecting others. As the youngest, his place is here, with his family. Not flying to the wilderness."

Winnie knew that this was a point of contention with her friend and his family. As the youngest of five, Spike felt obligated to live with his parents; especially since his sisters and brother all were older and married. She knew if she couldn't get the subject changed, she would be hearing more of Dominic's complaints about his youngest child's chosen profession.

"Papa!" Mrs. Scarlatti chastised her husband. "Winnie doesn't want to hear this. Are you hungry Winnie?"

Not wanting to disappoint the woman who equated food with love, Winnie smiled gently. "I've been so worried I haven't felt like eating much, but I could eat some."

"Good, come with me to the kitchen and I'll get you a plate. I was telling Michelangelo the other day that we hadn't seen you or Lewis lately. That Lewis is such a nice young man. Both him and Michelangelo should find nice girls and settle down, start a family." She gave a sideways glance at Winnie.

"So what is that delicious smell?" Winnie ignored the look and steered the direction back to a more comfortable one. She would plan on staying with the couple until they knew for sure that Spike was safe.

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

Spike could feel the cold radiating from below him, but he felt as if he were past caring. The pain was coming in waves and all he wanted to do was to close his eyes and sleep.

"How are you doing?" The medic knelt down by the injured man and started a new assessment of the man's condition. From the lowered respiration rate and the fast, thread pulse, the medic knew that shock was setting in. The golden hour of optimal rescue has long since passed and he knew that each passing minute was only increasing the likelihood of additional complications.

"Hurts." Spike could barely get out the single word without cringing with pain.

"I wish I had something to give you, but without a doctor's approval I can't do much Besides, they took the drug bag when they took your friend. Hang in there and we will be leaving soon."

"Said that before."

"You're right, but the copter seems to be taking a little longer to return than I had hoped."

"Sleep."

"Just rest, we are going to start a nice, roaring fire and let you sit around it. Maybe we can roast some marshmallows."

"No singing."

"You got it Spike. I'll be right back, I'm going to help Sergeant Parker with some more wood."

Spike didn't answer and closed his eyes. His breathing was very uneven and for a moment, the medic was worried that the young man had stopped breathing. But a painful sounding inhale indicated that he was still fighting to breathe on his own.

Greg came over pulling a large dead branch. "I wish I had a chainsaw. Never ran one, but I'd take one now."

"I know what you mean. I wasn't cut out for being a lumberjack."

The two men set about building a fire using the dead wood they had collected. It wasn't long before they had a small flame licking at the dry wood.

"Warming him up should help. Right?" Greg inquired.

"It will help. I just wish I had the drug kit with us so that I could start an IV. It would go a long way to helping him, he's getting shockier all the time."

"They should have been back already." Greg's tone was angry.

"There will be a good reason for them not being back, it's not like they are stopping at Timmie's for a cuppa."

"I know. I'm just worried."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

The pilot looked at the mechanic with a look of disgust. "We've got an injured man waiting for transport and you're telling me that the problem could have been solved forty-five minutes ago!"

"Yeah, if I was a psychic. The checklist for this problem is specific. We go through it in the same order to make sure that the problem is taken care of. For all I knew it could have been the first thing on the list or the last."

"But it was just a fucking fuse!"

"It's replaced now. If you are so damn anxious to get in the air, run your pre-flight checks and stop bitching at me." The mechanic snapped and turned to leave the hanger.

"Strap in," the pilot spoke to the medics flying with him. "We're going to haul balls."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"The family of Sam Braddock?"

The group looked up as a woman in surgical scrubs stepped into the waiting room. Jules felt her legs go weak and she looked at her friends around her.

"We're his teammates." Ed spoke as he stood, waiting for the woman to close the distance between.

"No family?"

"We're his family." Ed's look was firm.

"I wanted to let you know that he is out of surgery and the surgeon will be out shortly to speak with you. I can tell you that his vitals are very strong and we will be moving him up to intensive care as soon as we can."

"Thank you." Ed was polite and gave her a small smile. "That's very good news. We've been pretty worried about him."

"I'm sure you have. Once he is in ICU, we will have to limit the visitors."

"Understood. Thank you again."

The nurse nodded and returned the way she had come.

There was a collective sigh of relief as the members of Team One began to quietly celebrate the good news about Sam.

"I wish they would get here with Spike." Jules remarked. "How long has it been?"

"About three hours since they took Sam into surgery. Didn't you say that it looked like Spike was doing o.k.? I'm sure that they will be in soon." Ed sat back down next to Jules. "It's like you said before, if they thought his injuries were serious, they would have brought both him and Sam."

"Don't worry Jules, besides knowing Spike, he'll use this to get back at Sam." Lou imitated his friend, "Samtastic, I walked back to civilization with one leg chewed off by a polar bear just so you could fly back in style."

The others smiled at the thought of Spike rubbing it in to get a rise out of Sam.

"You're right Lou. Spike will probably milk this for a month of Timmies." Jules found that her hands had stopped shaking, the knowledge that Sam was doing fine had calmed her.

A short, balding man entered the room. " "Family" of Braddock I assume." He pulled up a chair and sat down to go over the details with the group. Occasionally stopping to answer a question, he tried to give them all the information he could. "So, I would expect that barring any complications, we can expect Constable Braddock to be awake in several hours. I have a CAT scan scheduled for him tomorrow and we can see if the fluid has been reduced. I can't say for sure, but I think looking at the first scan we did, I wouldn't expect any lasting damage."

"Oh, thank God." Jules said and the tears sprang to her eyes. Lou placed a comforting hand on her back, as did Ed. "When can I see him?"

"Once ICU has him settled you should be able to go up. I should warn you however, we did shave his hair."

"He's ex-military, so it's a look he's had before." Jules reassured the doctor.

"He'll look like you Ed or the Boss." Lou teased. "And you too Wordy. Damn, Spike and I will be the only two guys on Team One with hair."

"God only made so many perfect heads", Wordy spoke seriously. "The rest he put hair on."

The doctor stood and rubbed his own barren scalp. "I would have to agree with you. It was nice meeting all of you. I can see that Sam will be in good hands."

The doctor left and the others relaxed back into their seats. Wordy pulled out his phone to text Shelly and Lou picked up his magazine.

Ed's phone began to ring. "Good timing." He stood and answered it. "Ed Lane." He looked at his co-workers and gave them the thumbs up. "That's good news. Thanks. Let me know when you are back in radio contact."

Putting the phone back into his pocket, Ed reassured the others. "They are on their way to get Spike and the Boss."

_**Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint Flashpoint**_

"His blood pressure is dropping. Let's get his feet elevated and see if that will help a little." The medic slid his pack under Spike's legs.

"What can I do?" Greg was crouched down close to the young man.

"Keep a close eye on his breathing; I know it's getting harder for him to breath. Try to keep him calm, I know he seems really out of it, but your voice will help."

"Hang on with me Spike." Greg firmly gripped the hand of Spike. "Just stay with me."


End file.
